TOKYO: The Japanese government Friday adopted a bill to strengthen the management of Pacific bluefin tuna catches to prevent illegal fishing.

According to the bill to revise the fisheries law, fishery operators would be required to report not only the total catch volume but also the number of bluefin tuna they catch.

It also calls for obliging fishery operators to create and keep records of the names of fishing vessels, the dates of landing and the weight of each individual fish.

The bill was drawn up in response to illegal distribution of bluefin tuna caught off Oma, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, that came to light in 2021.

The government also adopted a bill to promote the use of smart agricultural technologies. It hopes that the bills will be enacted during the current parliamentary session.

JIJI Press