Busan said on the 10th that it made a direct transaction of Pacific bluefin tuna caught in Korea's coastal and offshore waters with Dongwon Industries(006040). This direct deal is the first secured through Busan's "Pacific bluefin tuna high-income pilot project." As climate change increases catches of Pacific bluefin tuna in Korea's coastal and offshore waters, some say improving the distribution structure will raise fishers' income and expand public access to tuna, a high-end species.
According to Busan, on the 7th, Dongwon Industries, a processing company, bought directly the Pacific bluefin tuna caught by two large purse-seine fleets. By cutting intermediate distribution steps and shortening the time to sale, it improved the freshness and quality of the tuna.
Until now, despite the high quality of Pacific bluefin tuna caught in Korea, it was shunned in the market because its freshness fell under the traditional distribution system of overnight landing (transport to land) and auctions.
In response, Busan pushed a distribution innovation that links Pacific bluefin tuna caught by large purse-seine fleets with Dongwon Industries, which has ultra-low-temperature processing infrastructure. The fisheries industry expects that improving the tuna distribution structure will not only increase fishers' income but also expand supply of Pacific bluefin tuna, boosting public access. An industry official said, "It will be the first step toward a stable domestic supply of high-quality, fresh Korean Pacific bluefin tuna."
Pacific bluefin tuna is a species strictly managed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). For fisheries resource management, it allocates catch limits by member country. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) recently, based on objective and scientific data on the increase of Pacific bluefin tuna resources in Korea's coastal and offshore waters, actively persuaded member countries and raised Korea's annual catch limit (quota) from 748t in 2024 to 1,219t in 2026.
Cho Yeong-tae, director of the city's Oceans, Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau, said, "This direct-trade volume is small, but it is significant in that Korean-caught Pacific bluefin tuna, which had been exported at low prices due to declining freshness, now stands at the starting point of being supplied directly to domestic consumers' tables," adding, "We will work to supply citizens with the freshest and safest seafood."