The Hokkaido herring season opened on 10 January, and landings have been excellent.
At the port of Otaru, 170 metric tons had been landed through 29 January, already reaching 80 percent of last year’s total catch, the Nippon News Network reported. Gillnetters said in the broadcast that the size is also just right.
The season runs through 25 March. The stock is large, and cool seawater temperatures this year have brought the fish close to shore, giving fishermen a good return for short trips, said the Hokkaido Shimbun. Last year, warmer water temperatures allowed the fish to stay north longer, so that few were caught in the early season.
While the large hauls will be a boon to Hokkaido fishing villages, one town, Esahi, has found a novel way to cash in on herring. They hold a contest to guess the day that herring will spawn in water off the town. The herring stir up the ocean, turning it white with milt and brown with stirred up mud, so that the day can be observed. Though the prizes are only in the JPY 10,000 (USD 100, EUR 80) range, the event draws tourists to the town.
