Tuna Wars: How Overfishing's Unseen Victims Are Losing Out to Japan's Sushi Obsession The bluefin tuna boom in Japan is having an unexpected consequence: the livelihoods of its fishermen are being sliced into.
A quota system designed to preserve the prized sushi ingredient has instead forced many in the industry to discard their catch, releasing it back into the Pacific Ocean.
Nakamura san, a fisherman from Hakodate, knows this reality all too well. With hundreds of bluefin tuna crowded in his net, he had to release many back into the ocean to avoid exceeding the annual quota.