Saury landings hit a record low this year, according to the national fisheries association to which most saury fishing boats belong.
According to the association, saury landings across Japan as of the end of November totaled 17,869 tons, down from 17,899 tons in the same period last year, which was then the worst year on record for saury landings.
As fishing boats belonging to the association closed the fishing season, the Choshi fishing port at the eastern tip of Chiba Prefecture had no saury landing this year for the first time since statistics started in 1950.
Saury usually approach waters off Choshi, moving southward along the Japanese coast from late fall to winter. However, this year, even in December, the fishing grounds remained in the high seas 400 to 500 kilometers away from Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.
Two large saury boats belonging to the Choshi Fisheries Cooperative Association terminated fishing operations and returned to port by Dec. 5. The expected arrival of saury-laden vessels from other prefectures did not take place either.
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