Turkish tuna farmers tripled exports to Japan over past decade

ISTANBUL -- Turkish tuna farmers have tripled exports to Japan over the past decade and expanded their operations into North Africa. Industry sources suggest that demand from China and South Korea is also surging.

The harvesting of fattened bluefin tuna was well underway off the Aegean Sea coast of the western province of Izmir one day in January. Divers with electric harpoons dispatched tuna in farming pens 50 meters across, and cranes hoisted tuna weighing 300 to 600 kilograms one after another.