Food

Bluefin Tuna Season Starts Earliest Since 1982 Due to Ocean Warming

Tottori, May 14 (News On Japan) - The season’s first bluefin tuna catch landed in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture, on Wednesday morning, marking the earliest start to the summer fishing season since records began in 1982.

A total of 63 tuna, caught off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, were brought into Sakaiminato Port. According to reports on the scene, one after another, large fish were unloaded from the boats.

This year's first landing came seven days earlier than last year, setting a new record for the earliest since 1982, when landings at Sakaiminato began. Several factors contributed to the early arrival: an increase in the allowable catch quota, earlier departures by fishing vessels, rising sea surface temperatures, and the recovery of fish stocks due to stricter fishing regulations.

Authorities expect approximately 1,100 tons of bluefin tuna to be landed this season by early July.

Sakaiminato, located in Tottori Prefecture along the Sea of Japan, has built a reputation as one of the country's key landing sites for tuna, particularly bluefin. The port has long served as a base for offshore and deep-sea fishing vessels, playing a crucial role in Japan’s seasonal tuna trade. Since tuna landings began at the port in 1982, the site has become a bellwether for tracking the start of the early summer fishing season in western Japan.

The city’s proximity to rich fishing grounds off the Noto Peninsula and the broader Japan Sea gives it a strategic advantage. Bluefin tuna migrating through these waters are often caught using longline fishing methods, and Sakaiminato provides the necessary infrastructure for swift unloading, auctioning, and distribution to markets across the country. The sight of giant tuna being offloaded in the early hours of the morning has become a seasonal spectacle that draws attention both locally and nationally.

Fisheries authorities and local cooperatives in Sakaiminato closely monitor quotas and timing to maintain sustainable practices. The area has also benefited from improvements in stock management and international agreements aimed at protecting tuna populations. In recent years, the recovery of bluefin stocks, combined with technological improvements and a warming ocean environment, has contributed to both early landings and higher catch expectations.

Source: TBS

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