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Agreement to Increase Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Pacific Bluefin Tuna
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2026.08.25.
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Agreement to Increase Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Pacific Bluefin Tuna
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that major fishing nations including Korea, Japan, United States, and Mexico agreed to increase the TAC to be applied from 2027 to 2028 at the follow-up meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Pacific Bluefin Tuna Joint Working Group* held on August 18.
* As bluefin tuna migrate across the entire waters of the central and western (Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc.) and eastern (United States, Mexico, etc.) Pacific, the two organizations jointly manage them through a working group.
Accordingly, the annual TAC for the entire Pacific Ocean was set at 27,399 tons—an increase of approximately 18% from the current 23,287 tons.
Regarding the increased TAC, however, negotiations on quota allocation among WCPFC fishing nations—Korea, Japan, and Taiwan—remain to be concluded, with each country's quota to be finalized at the WCPFC General Assembly scheduled to be held in the Republic of Vanuatu this December.
Meanwhile, the scope of quota utilization in Korea will also be expanded significantly. The Joint Working Group meeting agreed to increase the recommended conversion factor from 1.47 (allowing the catch of 147 tons of large fish using a quota of 100 tons of small fish) to as much as 6.37—based on the latest scientific analysis—to encourage the catch of large fish rather than small fish*. The existing one-year quota management will also be changed to a two-year system, allowing up to 125% of the quota to be used in the first year (borrowing up to 25% from the following year's quota); thus laying the foundation for flexible fisheries quota management.
* There is currently no limit on the conversion of small-fish quotas, but the 6.37 conversion factor will apply to a maximum of 35%.
“The distribution of bluefin tuna fishing grounds is changing rapidly as the marine environment changes, with catches of large bluefin tuna increasing in Korean coastal waters and spawning grounds being discovered in the East Sea. We will continue working to secure Korea's quota in a way that reflects these changes,” said Seo Jin-hee, Director General of International Cooperation Policy at MOF.
- One step closer to increasing bluefin tuna quotas in Korea's coastal waters
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced that major fishing nations including Korea, Japan, United States, and Mexico agreed to increase the TAC to be applied from 2027 to 2028 at the follow-up meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Pacific Bluefin Tuna Joint Working Group* held on August 18.
* As bluefin tuna migrate across the entire waters of the central and western (Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc.) and eastern (United States, Mexico, etc.) Pacific, the two organizations jointly manage them through a working group.
Accordingly, the annual TAC for the entire Pacific Ocean was set at 27,399 tons—an increase of approximately 18% from the current 23,287 tons.
Regarding the increased TAC, however, negotiations on quota allocation among WCPFC fishing nations—Korea, Japan, and Taiwan—remain to be concluded, with each country's quota to be finalized at the WCPFC General Assembly scheduled to be held in the Republic of Vanuatu this December.
Meanwhile, the scope of quota utilization in Korea will also be expanded significantly. The Joint Working Group meeting agreed to increase the recommended conversion factor from 1.47 (allowing the catch of 147 tons of large fish using a quota of 100 tons of small fish) to as much as 6.37—based on the latest scientific analysis—to encourage the catch of large fish rather than small fish*. The existing one-year quota management will also be changed to a two-year system, allowing up to 125% of the quota to be used in the first year (borrowing up to 25% from the following year's quota); thus laying the foundation for flexible fisheries quota management.
* There is currently no limit on the conversion of small-fish quotas, but the 6.37 conversion factor will apply to a maximum of 35%.
“The distribution of bluefin tuna fishing grounds is changing rapidly as the marine environment changes, with catches of large bluefin tuna increasing in Korean coastal waters and spawning grounds being discovered in the East Sea. We will continue working to secure Korea's quota in a way that reflects these changes,” said Seo Jin-hee, Director General of International Cooperation Policy at MOF.
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