In 2050, Japan will have no more fish in its nets, according to experts. New data released on Friday shows that the domestic harvest of fish hit a record low last year, marking a third year of decline.
No fish from Japan in 2050?
Japan harvested the least amount of fish in 2023 and may catch nothing at all in 2050.
In 2023, Japan reeled in about 3.7 million tons of fish, according to data released on Friday by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF). The figure fell for the 3rd year in a row and plummeted 4.3% from 2022.
Today’s fish catch is only 30% of what it was four decades ago in 1984 when fishing was at its height.
At the current rate, Japan’s fish barrels will be empty soon.
Associate professor Katsukawa Toshio at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology is an expert in aquaculture and fisheries and says “Japan’s fish catch is declining at a pace that it will reach near-zero in 2050.”
Fishing in Russian waters
The government aims to boost catches by about 16% by 2030 in a bid to deter the complete collapse of Japan’s fisheries.
Efforts were already underway on Friday when Japan and Russia held talks to allow Japanese fishing operators to catch salmon and trout within Russia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Earlier negotiations in March between the two nations agreed on Japan’s 2024 annual fishing quota from Russian rivers at 2,050 tons, unchanged from 2023.
Japan dethroned by China
Japan was home to the world’s biggest fisheries industry until China claimed the title in 1988.
Less freedom to fish in deep sea and offshore areas contributed to Japan’s downfall after the concept of EEZ was introduced during the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1973-1982). Other contributing factors include climate change, which has raised seawater temperature, and overfishing.
Uoya Toshinori from the Fisheries Agency says, “If Japan had strictly managed its resources, we wouldn’t be in our current situation.”
Japan eats less fish
Ceding not only its crown of top producer, Japan is becoming less of a consumer of fish.
The shift away from a diet rich in fish stems from not only a smaller catch but also rising prices of imported fish amid a weak yen economy. Exchange rates have a significant impact on fish imports, as Japan sources over 40% of its fish from overseas.
In the case of the Pacific saury, Japanese households eat 90% less of the fish compared to 2009. Meanwhile, China’s fish consumption has increased by 50% in the past 50 years.
If not in home-cooked meals, what about fish consumption in restaurants?
Popular chains serving sushi at cheap prices like Sushiro have raised prices as imports of salmon and other fish have become more costly. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has disrupted trade with Europe, leading to higher prices.
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