Get GLOBAL SUSHI: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BLUEFIN TUNA FISHERY IN THE MODERN ERA 2020-2024

Bluefin is usually served in top-notch sushi restaurants because it is, quite simply, the most delicious tuna available in the world. In particular, the fat and protein are perfectly balanced, and pieces have a melt-in-your-mouth-type feel.

NOAA Fisheries first determined the Pacific bluefin tuna stock to be overfished in 2013. The 2022 assessment completed by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean found the stock is still overfished, but stock size has significantly increased.

Variability in catch by purse seine vessels and fluctuations in the auctioned volume at Tsukiji Market are used as supply shocks. This study finds an elastic demand for Pacific bluefin tuna with an estimated constant own-price elasticity of demand of −2.631.

Overfishing poses serious threats as loss of predators, like tuna, allows populations of prey species to expand. This then can lead to a destabilized food web and marine environment.

They're an important part of Mediterranean culture too, having been hunted, eaten and supporting local communities since ancient times. And commercially, they're among the most valuable of all fish species – particularly in Japan, where bluefin is a highly prized delicacy in sushi and sashimi.

Japan's emergence on the global economic scene in the 1970s as the business destination du jour, coupled with a rejection of hearty, red-meat American fare in favor of healthy cuisine like rice, fish, and vegetables, and the appeal of the high-concept aesthetics of Japanese design all prepared the world for a sushi fad ...

The popularity of sushi has created such a demand for the Atlantic bluefin that prices worldwide have skyrocketed. Large fatty fish command the highest prices.

Bluefin tuna populations have declined severely from overfishing and illegal fishing over the past few decades –not just Atlantic bluefin tuna, but also Pacific bluefin tuna and Southern bluefin tuna. Population declines have been largely driven by the demand for this fish in high end sushi markets.