An international ocean resources group wants a 30 percent cut in the yellow fin tuna catch in the Pacific to curb over fishing, sources told Kyodo news Monday.

The proposal was made by the secretariat of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, whose members include Japan, the United States, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the European Union.

The commission's annual meeting is set for next week in South Korea, where the proposal will come up, the report said. If accepted, the cut would have a major impact on Japanese fishermen and consumers as Japan accounts for the largest total of the annual catch with a yield of up to 38,000 tons.

Raw tuna is the main ingredient in sashimi and sushi dishes. Yellow fin tuna is less expensive than the blue fin variety, the report said. Last week, another commission agreed to cut blue fin tuna catch in the Atlantic by 20 percent, the report said.

The Pacific commission dealing with yellow fin said the species will be in a dire situation if over fishing isn't curtailed.(UPI)