Present characteristics in commercialization of the cultured tuna [Thunnus]

The end of the "Bubble Economy" Period in Japan makes the demand and supply for/of the tuna enter its phase of reductive reorganization. In latter half of '90s, the commercialization of the cultured tuna (the Blue-fin Tuna and/or the Southern Blue-fin Tuna) expands itself remarkably. These aspects make this study describe the demand and supply for/of the cultured tuna, the negotiations between the cultureproducers and the distributors, trade specifications of wholesale markets, price market trends and so on. The cultured tuna has enlarged its demand scale emphasizing on the market of the popular class by means of the equality control, the standardization ability and the price stability. In this process, the domestic/foreign tuna-culture producers/distributors have tried to approach/enter the related business of the cultured tuna. Additionally, the cultured tuna commodities have raised the importance as the strategic items in such as the General Merchandising Stores. The cultured tuna accomplished its market expand based on the detailedly.segmented market of the existed Toro (Japanese high-priced Tuna commodity). On the other hand, the price level of the cultured tuna has much decreased in response to increase the amount of distribution and to shift of its core demand layer to the mass market. Moreover, in some cases among the cultured tuna producers, the reduction of the profit margin and the cost cracks are seen. In overseas, the soared price/cost of the culture-objected-fish stimulates the shift-movement to expand the culture-objected as to the Yellow fin or the Bigeye tuna. The conclusion takes two points such 1) that the market of the cultured tuna continues to segment its market and 2) that the continuing segmentation leads the big impact on the price formation of the captured tuna by fishing boats, under the conditions such as declining price of its consuming market and worsening productivity of the tuna culture business.