Young eel catches in Taiwan were extremely poor so the price was likely to soar in Japan

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

台湾 ウナギ稚魚が極端な不漁 日本で価格高騰のおそれも

12月17日 4時09分

ウナギの稚魚の今シーズンの漁が解禁された台湾では、これまでのところ極端な不漁となり、専門家からは、シーズン全体の漁獲量が過去最低となる可能性もあるという指摘が出ていて、今後、日本国内で取り引きされるウナギの価格高騰につながるおそれも出ています。

台湾では、毎年１１月からよくとしの２月にかけて、ウナギの稚魚のシラスウナギの漁が解禁され、今シーズンも先月から東部・宜蘭などの海岸で漁が行われています。

しかし、今シーズンはこれまでのところ極端な不漁となっていて、台湾の専門家は、このままのペースで推移すれば、シーズン全体の漁獲量は４トン余りだった前のシーズンの１０分の１から２０分の１程度にまで落ち込み、過去最低となる可能性もあると指摘しています。

不漁の詳しい原因はわかっていませんが、専門家は、海流の変化などが原因になっている可能性もあると推測しています。

台湾では、シラスウナギを養殖して、そのほとんどを日本に輸出しており、今後、日本国内で取り引きされるウナギの価格高騰につながるおそれも出ています。

My translation

In Taiwan where this season's fishing band on young eel was lifted, up to now the catches were extreme poor, specialists had pointed that there was a possibility that the catches for the whole season could be the lowest compared with the past. This would lead to a price hike in eel trading in Japan from now on.

In Taiwan the fishing of white sandbar young eel was often permitted annually from November to February the next year, since last month this season’s fishing had been carried out in Yílán etc. located at the east coast.

But in this season the catches up to now were extremely poor, according to Taiwanese specialists who based on the pace up to now pointed out that the best estimate would be about 4 tons for the whole season, fell to about 1/10 to 1/20 of the previous seasons, and that there was also a possibility it would become the lowest ever.

While the detailed cause of poor catches was not known, the specialists were inferring that there was also a possibility that it was due to changes in ocean currents.

In Taiwan white sandbar eel was cultivated and mostly exported to Japan; from now on there was a fear that it would lead to a rise in the price of eels when traded in Japan.

   The poor eel catches show that changes in ocean currents could affect the food supply of human.