Japan Panel OKs New Squid Catch Allocation Plan

Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese Fisheries Agency panel on Monday approved a new catch quota allocation plan for Japanese common squid for the current fishing season. While the overall catch quota itself will not be changed, a total of 2,485 tons will be added to quotas for six prefectures and under certain fishing methods. The plan was approved at the day’s meeting of a subcommittee of the Fisheries Policy Council, which advises the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister. The fresh allocations will mainly be from a reserve quota set by the government for catch adjustments. The additional quota allocations include 499 tons for offshore bottom trawl fishing and 200 tons for fishers granted permission by the minister. No new allocations will be made for small fishing boats, which have been ordered to suspend operations after catches exceeded quotas. By prefecture, squid catch quotas will be increased by 1,049 tons for Hokkaido, 503 tons for Nagasaki, 96 tons for Yamagata and 46 tons each for Hyogo, Tottori and Yamaguchi. While the agency had been concerned about poor squid catches over the past few years, squid catches proved to be bountiful once this season’s fishing began. This led to the fisheries ministry issuing an order for small fishery boats to stop operations between November and March next year. As of Nov. 13, squid catches by small fishing boats totaled 7,796 tons, exceeding the catch quota by 2,039 tons. While there have been calls for the ministry to lift the suspension order, mainly for fishers from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, where the squid fishing season starts later than in other prefectures, the agency has been reluctant to meet the request, citing the massive excess in catches over the quota. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]