Japan’s saury catch increasing after dismal start to the season

The amount of saury landed in Japan is increasing, bringing some relief to Hokkaido and northeast Honshu fishermen.

Early on in the season, which opened in mid-August, Japan's saury catch was at its lowest level ever. At that time, schools of the fish were mainly in international waters, about three days from Japanese ports in Hokkaido. But to reach them in a straight line, fishing vessels had to cross through Russian waters.

Given the tense political atmosphere due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Japan’s retaliatory sanctions on Russia, many captains were nervous about making the journey – though no incidents occurred. As a result, fishing effort was low, and this was reflected in lower landings ... 

Photo by Chris Loew/SeafoodSource