The abundant catch of the first bonito of the season continues unabated. How long will this “bargain” of seasonal delicacy last?
■Catch volume more than four times that of last year The first bonito of the season, a specialty of Kochi, is being grilled over a magnificent flame. Grilling it over straw gives it a fragrant aroma, resulting in crispy skin and a rare interior. Cutting it into thick slices is the Kochi way. In fact, something unusual is happening in Kochi right now, which could be called a bonito fever. Fishing port officials: “A huge catch, a huge catch” “This year’s catch is especially abundant compared to last year” What exactly is happening in the seas off Kochi? We went to Nakatosa Town, known as a town of bonito pole-and-line fishing. All the bonito landed here are pole-and-line caught.
They’re not just fishing haphazardly. They use radar to find schools of bonito. On the 15th, they landed 4 tons of bonito. Fisherman: “We’re catching a lot of fish in terms of quantity. It’s 1.5 times more than the same period last year.” The amount of bonito landed at major fishing ports in Kochi Prefecture this year has reached about 700 tons as of last month. This is more than four times the amount landed at the same time last year. Normally, the first bonito season in Kochi is from March to May, but this year they started biting about two weeks earlier, in late February. Fisherman: “Usually we take the whole month of February off, but this year that hardly happened.” Even the port cats are surprised. Why is there such an unusually abundant catch? The Kochi Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute, which is investigating the changes in the sea, says…
Tatsuya Kaji, Deputy Director of Technology, Kochi Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute: “We believe that water temperature has a major impact. Last year, the Kuroshio Current’s large meander ended, and even in winter, the water temperature remained relatively high at over 19℃.” The Kuroshio Current’s large meander is a phenomenon in which the Kuroshio Current, which normally flows near the archipelago, deviates significantly from its route, affecting seawater temperature and other factors. The large meander of the seabed ended last year, and the tuna returned to near the coast of Kochi, resulting in the warm seawater temperature that bonito prefer. Tatsuya Kaji, Deputy Director of Technology at the Kochi Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, said, “The conditions have been consistently slightly warmer than average since winter. Fish that had been staying in Tosa Bay started being caught around February, and since spring, fish that have migrated north from southern waters have joined them, which I think has led to the current abundant catch.”
■ Abundant Bonito Catch “Prices Fall” And with an abundant catch comes the question of price. At the fishing port early in the morning, rows of freshly caught bonito are lined up. Participants assess the freshness and bid on them. Takahiro Tanaka, President of Tanaka Fish Shop, said, “The stripes on the bonito. As the flesh gets fatter, the stripes disappear. This is proof that the flesh is plump.” This is according to a man who runs a fish shop nearby. He purchased about 200 bonito. This abundant catch is having a positive impact on prices. Last year, wholesale prices were around 700 to 1000 yen per kilogram, but this year they have fallen significantly. Takahiro Tanaka, president of Tanaka Fish Market, said, “Wholesale prices are down 30 to 40 percent compared to last year. This year, we’ve been able to catch bonito since February, so it’s been stable. I think retail prices are down by about 30 percent compared to last year.”
In fact, the store is offering bonito dishes and other items at 10 percent cheaper prices than last year. According to fisheries officials in Kochi, if the abundant catch continues, a nationwide decline in bonito prices can be expected. So, how long will this bargain last? Tatsuya Kaji, Deputy Director of Technology at the Kochi Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, said, “It’s difficult to predict (the future), but of course we hope it continues. Various conditions have come together in a positive way, resulting in the good catches we’re seeing now. We want people to enjoy the true freshness and preparation methods that are unique to the local area.” [TV Asahi NEWS]
