In Oshamanbe Town in southern Hokkaido, the scallops farmed in Funka Bay are at their peak.
At Onaka Fishing Port in Oshamanbe Town along Funka Bay, boats that left the port in the early hours of the morning began returning to the port just after 5:30 a.m. on the 6th, and scallops were landed one after another.
At Funka Bay, young shellfish are cultured using a method called ``mizuri'', in which holes are made in the shells and they are hung on ropes.
Scallops are about 8 centimeters in size and come with eggs, and according to the local fishing association, about 200 tons were landed in Oshamanbe Town on the 6th.
Of the 15,000 tons of scallops landed in the town last year, about half were exported to China, but due to the continued suspension of imports of Japanese marine products, they have lost their sales route to China.
Domestic sales require processing to remove the shells instead of shelling them for shipment to China, and there is a limit to the amount that can be handled, so the company is considering limiting the amount of fish caught per day.
On the other hand, we are focusing on creating a brand for scallops and expanding sales channels in Japan, Taiwan, and other countries.
Katsutoshi Matsui, a fisherman, said, ``As a producer, I want to ship a lot, but I'm worried about whether I'll be able to process it in time.The scallops here are characterized by their large size and strong sweetness and flavor.They are grown with love, so they can be sold in any country. I would be happy if everyone could eat it," he said.
The peak season for catching scallops lasts until the end of May.