Japan's Most Famous Tuna Buyer Says He Turned Somali Pirates into Fishermen

Japanese restaurant owner Kiyoshi Kimura, known as the "Tuna King" for his high-end sushi business, claims he helped end Somali piracy around 2012 by providing fishing boats and training to former pirates, arguing they turned to hijacking ships because local fishing grounds had been depleted by foreign trawlers. Kimura says he established the infrastructure—including freezer facilities—to allow Somali fishermen to legally catch yellowfin tuna and support their families, though credit for the piracy decline remains disputed among multiple international naval forces that were also patrolling the region.