South Korea, Japan Split on Bluefin Tuna Quotas
Talks at a WCPFC Northern Committee online meeting ended without consensus on how to divide a 25% increase in Pacific bluefin tuna catch limits.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Japanese Food
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South Korea and Japan failed to reach agreement on allocating Pacific bluefin tuna quotas during a Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Northern Committee online meeting. The 25% increase in the total large bluefin tuna quota was agreed in August, but the division among members remains unresolved.
Why it matters
Quota shares determine how much tuna each country's fleet can legally catch, so the allocation dispute directly affects South Korean fishermen. Historical catch data has long served as the basis for national quotas, and South Korea argues that the existing structure is imbalanced.
Current large bluefin tuna quotas stand at roughly 8,400 tons for Japan, 2,947 tons for Taiwan and 500 tons for South Korea, a gap of 17 times between Japan and South Korea. Under a uniform 25% increase, Japan would gain 2,100 tons while South Korea would gain 125 tons, and the allocation for the period after 2027 has not been settled.
The players
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
The regional fisheries management body that sets catch limits for tuna and other highly migratory species across the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
Japan
A major consumer and harvester of Pacific bluefin tuna, which holds the largest current quota among the parties in the negotiations.
South Korea
A party to the WCPFC whose fishermen increasingly catch bluefin tuna in nearby waters and which is seeking a rebalanced quota allocation.
The details
South Korea wants the historically imbalanced allocation structure corrected, proposing that half of the increase be distributed by existing ratios and the other half split equally among three countries. Japan proposed a uniform 25% increase based on current quotas. Bluefin tuna are increasingly caught near South Korean waters as water temperatures and ocean conditions shift, and spawning grounds have been found in the East Sea.
Timeline
2002-2004: Average catch became a key benchmark for quota allocation.
2015: International fishing regulations were strengthened using historical catch data.
July: South Korea proposed an equal division of the increased quota at a meeting in Nagasaki.
August: Members agreed to increase the large bluefin tuna quota by 25%.
November 11: The online WCPFC Northern Committee meeting ended without consensus.
Season Trajectory
The 2015 regulations tied national bluefin tuna quotas to historical catch records, and that framework now faces pressure as tuna move into new waters. Failure to agree by the December WCPFC meeting would leave the post-2027 allocation open.
Any agreed reallocation will set how much bluefin tuna can be landed by fleets in each country, which in turn shapes supply to markets that sell it. Until a consensus is reached, the quota available for the 2027-2028 period remains uncertain.
The takeaway
Quota disputes over migratory fish tend to follow shifts in where the fish actually are, not where the old catch records placed them. Watching the December decision in Vanuatu will show whether the allocation framework can adapt.
What happens next
The WCPFC annual meeting in Vanuatu runs from November 30 to December 5, and a consensus by December 5 is needed to apply increased quotas for 2027-2028.
Further reading
For more on the fish at the center of this dispute, see Japanese Food.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 조선일보.
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