I heard that Japan is relying about half of its bluefin tuna (Kuro-maguro) consumption on import from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Here is an article (written in Japanese) from Yomiuri Shinbun mentioning on it:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/atmoney/news/20091116-OYT1T00446.htm

Hmmm….. “Bluefin tuna are the source of the highest grade of sushi and sashimi, known to aficionados as maguro and toro.”
Toro is not tuna. It refers to a cut of meat, not the animal itself. (I like buritoro myself.) Also, not all maguro is kuromaguro (bluefin).

However I did not see anything about how Japan actually uses that meat, merely the amount caught and imported. I rather doubt that the 105 yen maguro the local kaiten dishes up is bluefin.

I assume that bluefin tuna is specifically marked on the menu as such? If so, then I have never seen bluefin listed at any sushi restaurant I’ve ever visited in America (granted, that’s limited to places in Pennsylvania and New York).

Here’s a recent article from Scientific American that talks more about the situation with Atlantic bluefin and also addresses some of Overthinker’s questions about where the bluefin is getting consumed: http://bit.ly/3MZ6ZX.

but when you say Bluefin, what bluefin do you mean? Or are you including all Bluefin? I think 3 or 4 species are totally critical and the one almost there.

We can only hope that the breeding process gets perfected – but then again – “we’re going to need a bigger tank” (to twist a line from JAWS hahahahaha)

We have to stop the Russians – I hear most of the tuna are in Moscow being stockpiled by the blackmarket runners who are stockpiling the stuff for its population’s voracious appetite there also.

As for bluefin, I believe the the scientific evidence documenting their rapid demise is clear and extensive. The questions have more to do with which exact populations are in trouble, depending on far the fish swim, as you point out. The question is not whether or not they are in trouble.

Sadly, you’re absolutely right that corporate fish distributors are taking advantage of the situation; Mitsubishi Corp. in particular appears to be stockpiling bluefin so it can sell it at inflated prices in the future after the fish has been wiped out.

There are so many conflicting reports on the exact population; I keep hearing that it is darn near impossible to track, because the suckers move so fast, so far and so much.

May be it’s a scam by the international fisheries; so that they can jack up the prices as they tell us the numbers are dwindling hint hint nudge nudge know wot I mean?

I also go easy on the scallops. And I freaking love scallops.