Japan Expands Squid Catch Quota 3.6-Fold

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fisheries Agency on Friday approved an increase to the catch quota for Japanese common squid to 68,400 tons for the next fishing season, a 3.6-fold jump from the current season’s initial quota. The decision was made at a subcommittee meeting of the Fisheries Policy Council, an advisory body to the fisheries minister. Although squid catches had been poor in recent years, they exceeded expectations this fishing season, resulting in the quota being expanded twice mid-season and ultimately reaching 27,600 tons. The quota for the next season, starting in April, will be 2.5 times higher than the post-expansion quota for this season. The agency allocated 15,000 tons of the quota to small fishing boats, after such vessels were ordered to suspend fishing this season due to catches exceeding their quota. The overall quota will be managed in portions of 13,600 tons for April-November and 1,400 tons for December-March, reflecting regional differences in fishing seasons. Meanwhile, the agency will decide at a later date how to deduct the catches that exceeded quotas this season from the quotas for next season and beyond. The quota for the upcoming season will remain unchanged through the season, as it was set based on a calculation method that does not rely on future resource projections. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]