Scallop fishing began on November 24 at ‘new fishing grounds’ created in Nemuro Bay in eastern Hokkaido, in response to the 2016 ban on the drift-net fishing of salmon and trout within 200 nautical miles of Russia. Three vessels belonging to the Nemuro and Habomai fisheries cooperatives initially landed a total of 13.5 tons.

The city of Nemuro received government subsidies in 2016–‘17 to develop a 4,600-hectare fishing ground approximately three kilometers north of Nemuro Port. The city’s four fisheries cooperatives (Nemuro, Habomai, Ochiishi, and Nemuro Bay Chubu) have released young shellfish every year since the spring of 2018, and began landing them in the winter of 2019. As the growth of the young shellfish was slower than expected, the period between releasing and landing them was last year extended from two to three years.

On the first day of fishing, three boats left Nemuro Port at around 6:00 a.m. and returned at around 0:20 p.m., landing cases full of scallops at the wharf.

At an auction subsequently held at the Nemuro Market, the highest price received was 200 yen per kilogram, 10 yen lower than the price of last year’s first landing. The average weight of each scallop was approximately 120 grams, about 20% less last year, which also influenced the price.

During the fishing season, which will continue until December 24, the three vessels aim to land a total of 150 tons of scallops.