TOKYO - Winter delicacy scallops are facing an unprecedented crisis, with mass die-offs reported at major producing areas across Japan, a development that is now rippling through restaurants in Tokyo.
Known for growing sweeter as winter cold sets in, scallops are usually at their peak this season, but producers say this year has brought alarming abnormalities.
Shohei Ebina, manager of the Tohoku-style izakaya Ohu no Utage, said scallops from Aomori Prefecture have disappeared from suppliers’ listings, explaining that although he usually orders through online fish markets, Aomori scallops are no longer available.
Originally from Aomori, Ebina said the situation is heartbreaking, noting that scallops from the prefecture are his top choice in terms of both flavor and cost performance.
The restaurant has been forced to switch to frozen scallops from Hokkaido and other areas, abandoning sashimi offerings and limiting its menu to grilled scallops instead.
The disappearance of Aomori scallops traces back to Mutsu Bay, which produces about 99 percent of the prefecture’s farmed scallops, where fishermen say the damage is overwhelming.
Scallop fisherman Yoshio Tamura said almost none have survived, describing the scene as devastating.
According to industry data, the average mortality rate for two-year-old farmed scallops in Mutsu Bay had reached 93.3 percent as of November last year, with rising seawater temperatures believed to be a major factor.
Tamura warned that the crisis threatens the very livelihoods of local fishermen, saying the chances of making a living from fishing are rapidly diminishing.
In response to the emergency and its impact on the regional economy, Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita and other officials visited the Fisheries Agency earlier, strongly urging swift government support, with Miyashita describing conditions across the bay as catastrophic.
The crisis is not limited to scallops. Oysters in Hiroshima Prefecture are also facing an unprecedented threat, with 80 to 90 percent of oysters this season found dead at aquaculture farms in Kure City.
Shuji Yamane, head of Yamane Suisan, said many operators are being pushed to the brink of closure.
Even surviving oysters are undersized, making them difficult to ship, and industry officials say it could take more than three years for harvest volumes to recover.
The Fisheries Agency has announced plans to support affected oyster farmers through financial assistance and investigations into the causes of the die-offs, and is considering applying the same support package to address the damage suffered by Aomori’s scallop industry.
Source: TBS
