10-07-2025
Japan eyes easing rules for Pacific saury fishing boats
Japan's Fisheries Agency is considering raising limits on the size and capacity of Pacific saury fishing boats to enable bigger catches on the high seas.
The country sets ceilings for the gross tonnage of fishing boats to prevent overexploitation of resources. Vessels intended to catch Pacific saury must be under 200 tons at present.
Japan's catches of Pacific saury have been poor in recent years as rising sea temperatures have caused numbers to decline. That has prompted the major fishing area to shift from waters near Japan to the North Pacific Ocean.
However, it is hard to make catching Pacific saury so far from Japan commercially viable using boats of less than 200 tons. There is not enough space for the refrigeration equipment necessary and to store sufficient fuel for the voyage.
China and Taiwan have raised their Pacific saury catches on the high seas by operating boats of more than 1,000 tons.
Japan hopes that by easing the regulations on fishing boats it can maintain its competitiveness.
