Japan’s mackerel season is yet to start on two key contested islands. Russia holds the Kunashiri island, a source of horse mackerel and Habomai, a source of octopus.
Each year, the two countries engage bilaterally on fishermen safety on the islands, but this year Russia ignored the talks.
The annual launch of the lucrative mackerel season on Kunashiri, which was to begin on September 16, is yet to set off. It is also likely that the octopus harvest on Habomai that starts on October 16, will also hit a snag.
Russia also sounded a warning that it might follow China’s wake at banning Japanese seafood following Fukushima Nuclear Plant’s drainage.
China blacklisted all seafood from Japan after Tokyo went ahead with the UN-backed drainage of Fukushima water into the Pacific.
Japan seeks to empty its radioactive reactor in what may take tens of years. The country has begun the exercise by first draining ‘safe’ waters from the plant to free up space.
Nevertheless, seafood yields and exports before the Fukushima issue came up have been impressive.
For one, Japan has been one of the biggest mackerel exporters in the world. In 2022, it ranked third for frozen mackerel-exporting nations, with a value of $143.6 million.
In comparison, fishing in Japan brought the country $1.97 billion worth of total fish and crustacean exports in 2022. Japan also ranked the 18th biggest seafood exporter in the world and the 6th in Asia.
Sardines Supplant Mackerel
In June 2023, catches of sardines in Japan broke even the low supplies of mackerel and saw buyers supplement mackerel with low-priced sardines.
Indeed, beginning February, fishermen in Japan’s waters have been netting sardines when targeting the off-season mackerel. Sardines move in tight schools that intimidate the bigger mackerel which move further down, thus escaping the traps.
Japan ranked the world’s second biggest exporter of frozen sardines in 2022 equal to 132,776 tonnes, according to ITC.
As a result of biting shortage, prices of Japan’s mackerel have shifted up in recent months. Mackerel is sold in Japan per 100 grams, which has averaged $0.8 to $0.94 or $8 to $9.4 per kilogram for most of 2023.
This compares well with the 2022 export prices of 150 Yen ($1.12) per kg to foreign markets, such as Norway.
Thus, as the contested islands keep off fishermen from the sea, the outlook for Japan’s mackerel remains unpredictable.