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Busan Metropolitan City to Launch Pilot Project to Enhance Freshness and Value of Pacific Bluefin Tuna

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will 추진 a “Pacific Bluefin Tuna High Value-Added Pilot Project” to enhance the freshness and added value of Pacific bluefin tuna caught in domestic coastal waters and to promote domestic consumption.

Pacific bluefin tuna is a species managed under national quotas set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), and in Korea it is distributed and managed in accordance with the “Notice on the Conservation and Management of Pacific Bluefin Tuna Resources.”

In recent years, catches of Pacific bluefin tuna in domestic coastal waters have increased due to factors such as climate change. However, the auction-centered distribution structure has led to delays between catch and sale, resulting in continued issues of reduced freshness and low pricing.

In addition, a significant portion of the catch has been exported overseas, including to Japan, limiting the expansion of domestic distribution and consumption.

To address these issues, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan Metropolitan City, and the Large Purse Seine Fisheries Cooperative have continuously discussed measures to enhance the added value of domestically caught Pacific bluefin tuna and improve the distribution structure, leading to the launch of this pilot project based on direct transactions.

This pilot project will proceed through direct transactions between two fleets of large purse seine fisheries and a domestic processing company, Dongwon Industries.

The objective is to reduce intermediate distribution stages, shorten the time to sale, and enhance added value by improving freshness and quality.

The directly traded Pacific bluefin tuna will be immediately pre-processed and then frozen and stored in cold storage facilities. It will be supplied to sashimi restaurants and large retail stores through the distribution network of Dongwon Industries.

Through this initiative, Busan Metropolitan City plans to expand the year-round supply of domestically caught Pacific bluefin tuna, improve public accessibility, and promote domestic consumption.

Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “This pilot project will serve as a meaningful starting point for enhancing the quality and added value of domestically caught Pacific bluefin tuna and expanding the foundation for domestic distribution.” He added, “We will closely examine the feasibility of applying this pilot project in the field, expand it to more fishing sites, and continue efforts to establish a new distribution system for domestic seafood so that citizens can enjoy fresher products.”