Fishery workers in Japan’s northern prefecture of Hokkaido are busy catching salmon, an autumn delicacy.
Fixed-net fishing began in early September off the coast of the town of Shiranuka.
On Friday, seven fishing boats left the port at 4 a.m. for the fishing ground. On arrival, the nets were pulled from the sea.
Many yellowtail fish were among the salmon that filled the nets.
After returning to the port at around 7 a.m., female salmon were separated from the males to extract roe for processing.
Fishery worker Kimura Taro says this year’s salmon are smaller. He adds that the fishing season has just started, and he hopes the catches later on will be much larger.
A local fishery cooperative says salmon catches have been on the decline, while those of yellowtail are increasing. Rising sea temperatures caused by global warming may be to blame.
Fixed-net salmon fishing off Shiranuka will continue until around early November.
AloJapan.com