Hokkaido fishing season begins with salmon and saury landings

The autumn fishing season has commenced in Hokkaido, bringing increased activity to local ports. In Hiroo, the opening of the autumn salmon set-net fishing season has led to the first landings of salmon at Tokachi Port, alongside the notable arrival of large bluefin tuna at the market.

In Nemuro's Hanasaki Port, which holds the record for the highest Pacific saury landings in Japan for 16 consecutive years, a single day saw a landing of approximately 520 tons from 28 vessels. This marks the first time this season that daily landings have exceeded 500 tons.

However, fishermen report mixed results regarding the size of the catch, with many noting that the saury are smaller than in previous years. This scarcity has impacted market prices; in Sapporo, individual saury have been priced at over 300 yen, leading some consumers to find the cost prohibitive. Retailers noted that while volumes are beginning to increase, prices remain high compared to previous years.