It seems that snow crab fishing in the Sea of Japan was good. Snow crabs have long legs extending from their shells and are known as the “queen of crabs” for their delicate texture. Fishing is allowed every year from November to March of the following year on the Sea of Japan side of Hokuriku to Sanin. This catch amount was the highest since statistics began in 1964. It seems that this bumper catch was due to the long-term resource management of local fishermen. A group of fishermen, researchers, and local government officials from the Sea of Japan coast holds a study session every year. They hold study sessions and share information about the ecology and resource status of crabs. In addition to observing the fishing quotas set by the government, they have also voluntarily released small and young crabs. They have also voluntarily implemented strict resource management, such as setting up no-fishing zones. It seems that the results of their efforts have finally come to fruition.
The same relationship was also seen with snow crabs: the more the supply, the cheaper it is, and the less the price, the more expensive it is. The catch of snow crabs, a winter delicacy of the Sea of Japan, increased, but the unit price fell by 10 to 20 percent. The average unit price of male crabs in Fukui Prefecture was 7,721 yen per kilogram, 13% lower than the previous period. Considering that the catch increased by 15%, it seems that there was some dissatisfaction with the increase in income. The future challenge for snow crab producing areas seems to be sales strategies. It takes more than 10 years for snow crabs to grow to a size that is suitable for sale before they can be shipped. When the resource situation is good and the catch is good, it is important to have a fishing strategy and sales strategy that looks ahead. One of these strategies is “crab tourism.” “Crab tourism,” that people travel from the city center to the Sea of Japan side to enjoy crabs and hot springs, was very popular. Although the unit price of crabs fell, it seems that the contribution to the local economy, combined with hot springs and hotels, was significant. In the future, a strategy for marketing, such as PR for consumers, will be proposed that will enable cooperation throughout the Sea of Japan.
Challenges are also emerging in the world’s fishing industry. That is, the footsteps of global warming. The global average sea surface temperature has risen by 0.54°C over the past 100 years. In the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea, the sea surface temperature has risen by 1.1°C, which is larger than the global average. At a fixed point in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, the oxygen concentration in the surface water has decreased by about 15% over the past 50 years. The rise in sea surface temperature is a cause of the shrinkage of the marine biosphere. It is said that if the oxygen concentration decreases by 15%, biological resources will decrease by more than 20%. The rise in the ocean surface temperature has many troublesome side effects. In addition to resource management, it seems that measures are also needed to deal with changes in sea temperature.
