The spring season for hairy crabs (Erimacrus isenbeckii or kegani in Japanese) in Hokkaido is off to a poor start in the Sea of Okhotsk, the main production area, as landings fell sharply from the same period last year.
Landings on the coast of the Cape Soya and along the Sea of Okhotsk were 458 metric tons, just half that through the same period last year, according to a Nippon Keizai Shimbun report. The fishing season in the area will remain open until August, but many fishermen have already stopped crabbing.
Fishing from 20 March through the first ten days of April was so poor that Obu Town, in a famous crab producing area, canceled its annual April festival. The Hokkaido Shimbun reported that the previous year also showed a marked decline in landings at the town.
The cause of poor fishing is not clear. In Hokkaido, only males at least 8 centimeters long may be kept, but hairy crab are is slow-growing, taking seven years to reach that size. So, recovery of the stock takes time.
The wholesale price at Tokyo’s new Toyosu wholesale market is at a record high. Small crabs, under 350 grams each, sold for JPY 5,500 (USD 50.35, EUR 45.00) per kilo, and medium-sized crabs of approximately 350 to 450 grams were JPY 6,500 (USD 59.50, EUR 53.18). The price is more than double that of 2016.
However, frozen crab from Hokkaido’s Esako port were offered on the website of Marutaka Takada Syoten at JPY 3,750 (USD 48.15, EUR 30.68) for a 500 gram crab, JPY 4,300 (USD 39.36, EUR 35.18) for a 570 gram crab, JPY 5000 (USD 45.76, EUR 40.90) for a 680 gram crab, JPY 6,000 (USD 54.91, EUR 49.08) for an 800 gram crab, or JPY 7,000 (USD 64.06, EUR 57.26) for a 900 gram crab.
Japan’s “hairy crab” is not to be confused with the “Shanghai hairy crab” (Eriocheir sinensis), also known as the “mitten crab” because of hair on its claws. The mitten crab is a delicacy along the Chinese coast, with strong demand in Hong Kong.
