Firefly squid season marks the beginning of spring

Mar 02 (NHK) - Fishing season for firefly squids began on Friday in the Toyama Bay on the Sea of Japan coast.

The season opens on March 1 every year. Six fishing boats left before 4 AM from a port in Namerikawa, which traditionally boasts the largest catch in the area.

They retrieved four fixed nets that were set about two kilometers off shore, and returned with firefly squids measuring five to seven centimeters long.

Officials say the day's haul of 1.5 kilograms was the lowest in 10 years for the first day of the season.

The firefly squids fetched about 240 dollars per kilogram. They said bad weather from the night before may have affected the catch.

Kazuhito Mizuhashi, deputy chief of a fisheries association, said he hopes for an abundant catch through the season. He said he wants people throughout Japan to get a taste of firefly squids.

The height of firefly squid fishing in Toyama Bay is through April. The season runs through mid-June.

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