Overview

• Prefectural data show about 3.17 million fish landed by the end of September, with catch value down 33.9% to roughly ¥11.4 billion.
• This marks the third consecutive yearly decline, and the figures cover the fishery’s late September to early October peak.
• The Hokkaido Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Experimental Station links the drop to unusually warm seas in early summer 2022 that pushed undersized juveniles offshore and increased predation.
• Officials at the institute say they do not expect a large rebound in the near term.
• On the Abashiri coast, catches were down 72% to 251,000 fish as of Oct. 6, and reports of water-quality-related mass deaths are complicating egg collection for hatchery programs, raising concerns about future stock levels.