Ofunato in Iwate - Large saury fleet departs for fishing in the midst of serious poor catch

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

深刻な不漁続くなか大型サンマ船団が漁に向け出港 岩手 大船渡

2021年8月18日 5時01分

ここ数年深刻なサンマの不漁が続く中、全国有数の水揚げ量を誇る岩手県大船渡市で、17日に大型のサンマ船団が今シーズンの漁に向けて出港しました。

大船渡漁港を出港したのは地元の水産会社「鎌田水産」が所有する大型のサンマ漁船6隻です。

出港に先立ってセレモニーが行われ、船の漁労長の政井武秀さんが「大漁を目指して乗組員が団結して頑張ってきます」と決意を述べました。

乗組員は感染対策として全員ワクチンの接種を済ませているということで、家族らの見送りを受けながら出港しました。

大型船によるサンマ漁は今月20日に解禁となり、船団は北海道・根室市の花咲漁港を拠点に北太平洋で操業する予定です。

サンマは資源量が減少していることに加えて海水温の上昇で日本の近海に来るものが減って漁場が遠くなっていることから、ここ数年深刻な不漁が続いています。

全国有数の水揚げ量を誇る大船渡漁港でも去年は6200トンあまりと、記録的な不漁となったおととしの6400トンをさらに下回りました。

水産会社の鎌田和昭会長は「ことしは去年よりも日本の近海にサンマの群れが来ているようで、大漁を期待したい。多くのサンマを全国の人たちに安く提供したい」と話しています。

Translation

In Ofunato City of Iwate Prefecture which boasted one of the largest catches in Japan, a large fleet to catch Pacific saury departed for this season's fishing on the 17th, as poor catch in Pacific saury continued for the past few years.

Six large saury fishing boats owned by the local fishery company "Kamada Fisheries" departed from Ofunato fishing port.

A ceremony was held prior to the departure from the port. Mr. Takehide Masai, the chief fisherman of the ship, stated his determination that "The crew will work together to aim for a big catch."

All the crew members had been vaccinated as an infection control measure, and they left the port while receiving the see-off of family member.

The ban on saury fishing by large vessels was lifted on the 20th of this month, and the fleet based at the Hanasaki fishing port in Nemuro City of Hokkaido was scheduled to operate in the North Pacific Ocean.

In addition to an overall decrease in saury resource, the number of sauries that come to the sea near Japan was decreasing due to a rise in seawater temperature, and the fishing grounds were moving farther and farther away, serious poor catch had continued in recent years.

Even at Ofunato Fishing Port, which boasted one of the largest catches in Japan, had only about 6200 tons last year, which was even lower than the record poor catch of 6400 tons.

Kazuaki Kamada, chairman of the fishery company said, "It seems that flocks of saury coming to the sea near Japan could be more than last year, and I would like to expect a big catch. I want to provide many sauries to people all over the country at a low price".

              So, even at Ofunato Fishing Port, which boasts one of the largest catches in Japan, has poor fish catching. Climate change is affecting the fishery industry in Japan.