Tag Archives: Sea of Japan
Increased quota offers ray of hope for bluefin tuna fishing industry
The decision to increase the quota cheered Takao Iwane, a 73-year-old fisherman who has plied the Sea of Japan waters off the town of Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture, for about 40 years. “Bluefin tuna prices go up in winter, so the announcement encouraged me,” said Iwane, who catches tuna using a handheld line with a single hook. Fukaura is known as one of the rock stars of Japan’s tuna fishing industry. Fishermen could operate without restrictions in waters off Fukaura several decades ago, but catches plunged around the time after regulations were introduced in 2015. In 2021, the four fishery cooperatives in Fukaura were allocated a combined quota of 302 tons. >click to read< 23:18
The Great Pacific Migration of Bluefin Tuna
Shortly after their first birthday, Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) complete an impressive feat. From the spawning grounds in the Sea of Japan where they were born, the young tuna embark on a journey over 5,000 miles (8,000 km) long, across the entire Pacific Ocean to the California coast where they spend several years feeding and growing. Until recently, scientists believed only a small portion of juvenile tuna made the journey, but several new studies show that may not be the case—in some years the majority of tuna aged between one and three participate in the trans-Pacific migration. click here to read the story 14:53
Japan’s squid fishermen grow irate over North Korean missiles
Japanese squid fishermen are starting to feel like sitting ducks as North Korea continues to fire ballistic missiles that end up hitting their fishing grounds in the Sea of Japan. “We don’t know when and where (North Korean missiles) will drop,” said an official of a fisheries cooperative at Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture, which boasts the largest squid haul in Japan. “It’s like an unpredictable accident waiting to happen, and we cannot do anything about it.” In its latest act of belligerence, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles on Sept. 5 that dropped within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) about 200 to 250 kilometers from Okushirito island of Hokkaido. The areas in the Sea of Japan where the missiles landed contain fishing grounds of Japanese flying squid, according to the Tokyo-based Japan Squid Fisheries Association (JASFA). Read the story here 10:52
