Deep-sea tuna fishing boat South Africa I couldn't replenish my crew due to entry restrictions
Two tuna fishing boats belonging to the Yaizu fishery cooperative association in Shizuoka prefecture, which are involved in the open sea fishery, have been unable to move at the port where they were anchored because the new coronavirus prevented sailors from entering South Africa. I found out.
According to the Yaizu Fisheries Cooperative, their two pelagic tuna fishing vessels remain moored in the port of Cape Town, South Africa's major city.
Of these, one ship that arrived at the port in late March planned to send another engineer from Japan instead of the engineer who returned to Japan due to ill health, but entry is restricted due to the spread of new coronavirus infection. Due to this, the crew cannot be replenished and the ship cannot move.
Although there is a sufficient amount of food on board, 24 seafarers, including Japanese, have not been granted landing permission and have remained on board for over two months. I have been in contact with the company that operates the ship, and there is no problem with the physical condition of the crew.
Also, another ship arrived at Cape Town in early February, but after the sailors returned to Japan, they were unable to enter South Africa, and only the ship remained moored.
The fishing of southern bluefin tuna is at its peak off Cape Town from April to July, and if this situation continues, there is concern that it may affect future catches.
Yasuharu Aoki, general manager of the Yaizu Fisheries Cooperative Market Department, said, “Not only can tuna not be caught when fishing is in full swing, but the refraining from going out has reduced the demand for tuna at restaurants. We have to continue, and the fisheries people are in a difficult situation."
Tuna transaction price drop Prevention of fisherman's infection... Strict management
In Shizuoka prefecture, which has the highest amount of tuna caught in Japan, fisheries personnel are under severe management due to the effects of the new coronavirus, such as lowering of tuna transaction prices due to refraining from going out and measures to prevent fishermen's infections.
According to the Yaizu Fisheries Cooperative Association, the southern bluefin tuna, which is served as sashimi at restaurants, is very popular and has a very low sweetness, and the transaction price is about 30% lower than usual. Demand has declined due to self-restraint from going out, etc., and the large freezer of this fishery cooperative is almost full of stocks of southern bluefin tuna, and in some cases the carrier waits for landing for more than 3 months after fishing. ..
Also, for albacore tuna, which has a relatively low unit price, the transaction price is recovering, but it is about 10% lower than usual.
In addition, measures related to the infectious diseases of seafarers are under pressure from fisheries personnel.
Since one tuna fishing boat in the pelagic sea lasts for a long time of more than half a year, if the fishermen on board the ship are infected with the new coronavirus, it will have a major impact on the continuation of fishing. Therefore, the company that manages fishing boats is taking measures such as keeping sailors at the hotel for health observation two weeks before departure, and the fisheries cooperative also restricts the entry and exit of fishing passengers to the port. We are taking steps to prevent infection.
Since the cost of these measures must be borne by each company, fisheries personnel are under severe management.