Amid environmentalists' warnings that tuna would eventually go extinct at current fishing rates, a 2006 deal agreed to cut the annual catch of bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic Ocean by one-fifth to 25,500 tonnes by 2010.

The two-day informal meeting that opened in Tokyo of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas aims to address concerns that there is little enforcement of the quotas.

"We will exchange views on how countries can keep their quotas, a problem which was revealed at the annual meeting last year," said an official of Japan's Fisheries Agency.

The meeting includes countries and regions affected by the commission's quotas -- Canada, the European Commission, France, Japan, Libya, Morocco, Taiwan, Turkey and the United States.

Industry bodies of fishermen, aqua farmers and traders are also joining the talks, according to Japan's Fisheries Agency.

The Tokyo talks come ahead of the Atlantic tuna commission's next annual meeting in November, which is expected to look at toughening restrictions to ensure that quotas are met.

A report issued in France last year said that France, Italy, Japan and Spain were guilty of the biggest violations of international quotas for bluefin tuna fishing.

Italy fished 7,500 tonnes more than allowed in 2006, followed by France with 3,770 more and Japan with 3,550 tonnes, said the report by Roberto Mielgo Bregazzi, a consultant who has previously carried out research for the WWF.

Japan is the largest consumer of tuna, which is prized for sushi and sashimi.

Japanese food has gained in popularity across the world in recent years amid perceptions it is healthy.

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