Fuel costs to beach tuna boats

The Japanese and three other Asian unions representing pelagic long-line tuna fishing boat operators under a Tokyo-based umbrella group have agreed to suspend operations to avoid losses caused by soaring fuel prices, according to group officials.

The decision by the Japanese union and its Chinese, South Korean and Taiwanese counterparts, all belonging to the Organization for the Promotion of Responsible Tuna Fisheries, will eventually affect about 30 percent of the world's roughly 1,200 pelagic long-line fishing boats, they said.

These boats use unanchored long lines to fish for big eye and other tunas mainly for the Japanese market. Prices for sashimi in retail stores here could rise as a result of the suspension.

The Japanese union intends to stop operating at least 20 percent of its 350 fishing boats, although it has yet to formally decide when to do so.

The Taiwanese union has already decided to keep 204 of its 387 boats in port, while the Chinese union has halted 40 of its 204 boats. The Korean union has decided to stop operating 10 percent to 20 percent of its 160 vessels.

The Organization for the Promotion of Responsible Tuna Fisheries groups ocean-going long-line tuna fishing operators from Japan and nine other countries.