Pacific saury was landed for the first time in two years by drift net fishing by a small boat on the east coast of Hokkaido.
Only 24 animals were landed, and the auction held in Kushiro City on the morning of the 14th was traded at a record high of 62,000 yen per kilogram.
The ban on drift net fishing by small boats on the east coast of Hokkaido, which is the start of saury fishing, was lifted on the 8th of this month, and one small boat belonging to the Hiroo Fisheries Cooperative landed for the first time in Japan.
It is the first time in two years to land by drift net fishing.
Only 24 fish were caught, the lowest ever for the first landing.
The saury was then taken to the market in Kushiro City, where it was traded at a record high of 62,000 yen per kilogram at the auction on the morning of the 14th.
Domestic saury has been suffering from severe poor fishing for the past few years, and the annual landing volume has reached a record low for the third consecutive year.
"I'm glad that the saury was landed at this time of the year when the fuel price was soaring. The price is high, but I want to sell it carefully to everyone in the country," said Takeshi Sasaya, president of "Marusa Saury Shoten," which bid off the saury. I was talking.
The ban on saury fishing off the eastern coast of Hokkaido will be lifted from next month, and the ban will be lifted in earnest.
Shoppers "unbelievable prices"
At the direct sales office in Kushiro-cho, three saury that were first landed at 10 am were immediately lined up at the store and sold for 10,000 yen each.
A couple in their 80s and 70s who were visiting for shopping were surprised, "It's an unthinkable and unbelievable price. It's a small price, but it's a great price, and I can't speak."
A woman in her 50s said, "Just looking at the price makes me feel like a feast. I love saury, but I'm small, but I can't buy it because it's expensive."