Japan’s saury catch plummeted: 73% lower than the same period last year

Saury, the most representative fish in Japan in autumn, is out of stock this year. According to statistics from the Japan Fisheries Information Center, as of the end of August, the total catch of saury in Japan was only about 1,330 tons, a 73% decrease from the same period last year. Hanasaki Port in Nemuro City, Hokkaido, which produces the most, only caught about 1,100 tons, which is only one-quarter of the same period last year.

The conditions of all fishing ports are very poor. Hanasaki Port has an annual decrease of more than 75%, and Akkeshi Port has an annual decrease of about 70 tons, an annual decrease of 78%. Only Kushiro Port bucked the trend and grew, catching about 110 tons, an increase of 63% over last year, but overall it was still very sluggish. The reason is that the fishing grounds are too far away and too scattered. The main fishing ground is now about 1,000 kilometers away from Hanasaki Port, and the fish stocks are very sparse. Boats can't catch anything even if they sail far away.

Not only was the quantity small, but the fish was also on the small side. 90% of the saury caught this year were small fish weighing 80 to 140 grams. In the past, large-sized saury that was full of oil was rare. Because of the shortage, the average price has soared. The average price of 1 kilogram is 932 yen, which is 1.4 times that of last year. This means that the smaller the tail, the more expensive it is.

Director Ichiko Watanabe of the Fisheries Information Center said that currently the saury resources seem to be small, and the fishing grounds are far away and the fish stocks are thin, resulting in insufficient catches. We can only hope that when the sea water temperature drops, the fish stocks will become more concentrated, and the fishing conditions will have a chance to improve. This year, it may not be so easy for Japanese people to eat cheap and large-tailed saury.