日高檔吞拿魚價格下調

Recently Jiji News reported the following:

　来年の漁獲枠が４割近く削減されることになった大西洋と地中海産クロマグロの日本向け現地価格が値下がりしている。先行き供給の先細り懸念がある一方、世界最大のマグロ消費国、日本の消費不振が輸入価格の下げ要因となっている。この年末年始も、昨年より安く高級マグロが店頭に並びそうだ。　スペインやマルタ、トルコなど地中海産の養殖マグロを扱う国内の輸入業者らは今月上旬から、年末以降に冷凍や生で販売する魚の仕入れ価格交渉を開始。いけすから取り上げた直後の価格は、２００キロ以上の大型魚で「昨年比４割安の１キロ当たり１５００円前後でほぼ決まる見通し」とマルタ産などを扱う輸入商社は言う。　国内で多く流通する頭や骨などを取り除いた冷凍のブロック（４つ割り）の卸値も、「キロ当たり３０００円前後と昨年より１５００円近く安くなりそう」（築地魚市場）と卸会社はみる。　安値要因は、消費の落ち込みに伴う過剰在庫。冷凍クロマグロの在庫は「年間の消費量に相当する２万トン以上あるだろう」（大手水産会社）とされ、その大半が「現地価格が高かった昨秋のリーマンショック以前に取引されたもの」（同）という。安く処分できない昨年からの在庫が重荷となって、大手商社などが今年の買い付けに慎重になっていることも、現地価格の下げ要因だ。

Blue-fin tuna from the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea which already had a reduced harvest quota of about 40 percent next year now faced a drop in price in Japan that indicated sluggish consumption and surplus stock. As the world's largest tuna consumption country, Japan's sluggish tuna consumption became a factor that had lowered import prices and tapered off anxious in its future supply. Towards the end of this year, high-end tuna were found lining-up cheaply in shops when compared with the high price of last year. Domestic importers who handled the farmed tuna from the Mediterranean Sea such as Spain, Malta, and Turkey and sold them frozen and alive, starting from the beginning of this month, set in motion the price negotiation on the supply of tuna for the period beyond the year end. For fish weighted 200 kilo or more, the import firm that handled the fish from Malta etc. said "it is expected that compared with last year, a 40% discount is equal to about 1500 yen cheaper per kilo". Wholesale companies (in Tsukiji Uoichiba) having noted that the wholesale price of the frozen block circulated domestically with lots of heads and the bones etc removed (divide of four), said that "it seems that it has become about 1500 yen cheaper compared to about 3000 yen per kilo last year". Surplus stock caused by decrease in consumption was a factor that lowered the price. The stock of the frozen blue-fin tuna, according to an estimate (by major fishery company) was that "There might be 20,000 tons or more, that is equivalent to a year's consumption", and the same company said the majority of them were "the one that had been traded at a high local price before the Lehman shock of last autumn". The stock of last year was a burden because it could not be disposed of cheaply, and the careful attitude of big traders was also a major factor that had lowered this year's the local purchase price.

From the above, it seems that tuna trade in Japan is being affected by the "Lehman" incident happened last year.