일본 수산물 insights

Core tip: The Japanese Fisheries Agency recently announced that the total allowable catch (TAC) for Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus) for the year 2025 will be increased by 34%, from the originally planned 19,200 tons to 25,800 tons. This marks the first time since the implementation of the current quota system in 1998 that Japan has revised the squid quota mid-year.

According to the Japan National Autumn Knifefish Rod Fishing Cooperative Association (referred to as "All Autumn Knifefish"), the total landing volume of autumn knifefish in August 2025 reached 4987 tons, an increase of over 2000 tons compared to the same period last year, with a significant growth rate. And in the first four days of September, the catch volume had already reached about 4980 tons, almost matching the total volume of August, which came as a surprise to the industry and fishermen. In the face of the surge in catches, ports in Hokkaido and various parts of Tohoku have successively encountered a situation where they cannot keep up with the influx. For example, in Hanasaki Port in Nemuro City, Hokkaido, after the fishing boats returned to port, the unloaded autumn knifefish piled up like mountains, and the trucks for transporting fish were in short supply, causing the catch to be stuck in the port, putting immense pressure on storage and distribution. Similar situations occurred in Aomori, Iwate, and other places, where some ports' refrigeration capacity was pushed to its limits. In response to this situation, "All Autumn Knifefish" announced on September 4th the implementation of unified catch regulation measures. This is the first time in 13 years, since 2012, that catch restrictions have been implemented. The specific measures are: fishing boats that complete unloading from Monday to Thursday must wait until 6 a.m. the next day before they can set sail again; if unloading is completed on Friday or Saturday, they must wait until 6 a.m. two days later before setting sail. By artificially extending the interval between departures, the aim is to avoid a large influx of catches into the port in a short period. "All Autumn Knifefish" stated that this regulation measure is expected to last until the end of the month, after which adjustments will be made based on the catch trend and market absorption capacity. A person in charge said frankly: "This harvest is completely beyond our expectations. We must ensure the benefits of the fishery while avoiding chaos in the distribution chain." This year's fishing season is considered a "breathing space" for Japan's autumn knifefish industry. In recent years, the autumn knifefish resources have been continuously low due to climate change, abnormal marine environment, and overfishing in international waters, with production repeatedly hitting new lows. In 2022, it even dropped to a historical low, causing a heavy blow to the fishermen. Although the catch volume in 2024 has rebounded somewhat, it is still far below the scale of 200,000 tons in the golden years. This harvest has to some extent alleviated the tight supply in the market. The wholesale market reported that with the increase in catches, the price of autumn knifefish has significantly dropped compared to early August, which is beneficial for the recovery of the consumer end. However, industry experts remind that the current harvest is more likely to be a "short-term rebound" and does not mean that the recovery of resources has been determined. Whether the number of autumn knifefish populations can steadily increase in the future still depends on multiple factors such as ocean currents, sea temperature, and international fishing pressure. For fishermen, the harvest is indeed exciting, but how to maintain market stability and avoid price crashes and resource waste when "the fish come too quickly" is also a new challenge to be addressed. This catch regulation, implemented for the first time in 13 years, is not only an emergency measure but also reflects the difficulty Japan's fishery industry faces in finding a balance between "good years and bad years." As the person in charge of "All Autumn Knifefish" said: "We are happy about this year's harvest, but we must also stay calm and closely observe the trends ahead. Only under scientific management can the future of autumn knifefish truly be stable."

A significant portion of Turkey's tuna exports, amounting to nearly 130 million dollars, is made to Japan and South Korea.