Tsunami hits the Japanese fishery, seafood or stock out of stock for more than a year

The 9th-largest earthquake in Japan triggered a tsunami that swept thousands of lives in the northeastern part of Honshu. It also hit the local fishing industry and aquaculture.

According to fishermen, due to the destruction of fishing equipment and the sharp drop in fish harvest, some seafood supplies may be out of stock for more than one year.

The earthquake in Japan not only created a human tragedy, but also caused many business areas in the country to be in trouble. At Tsukiji, the famous central fish market in Tokyo, a wholesaler said that all scallop farms in the northeast, together with people working there, were all swept away by the tsunami.

Tsukiji is the world's largest fish market. In 2009, fish products handled in the market reached 544,000 tons, worth 443 billion yen.

Japanese officials said that the impact of the disaster on Tsukiji’s turnover, or the impact of Japanese seafood exports, is too early to make an assessment.

Now, Tsukiji Fish Market is not as lively as usual. In addition to the sharp decline in supply in the Northeast, energy-saving measures and suspicions caused by radiation have also caused restaurant business such as sushi restaurants to be light. These seafood companies have reduced their purchases, which has also hit the Tsukiji Fish Market.

According to the Tsukiji market staff, the number of people who came to visit after the earthquake has decreased by 70%. He estimated that the supply of multiple types of seafood would take at least a year or longer to restore normalcy.

There are no halibut, black grouper, and abalone from the worst-affected areas of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima in the Tsukiji market. The famous specialty towns of the three counties and the Ruobu Kelp in Miyagi Prefecture were completely extinct. This week's fresh scallops are supplied by the West Bank of Japan, and the number is much less than in the past.

The number of regular customers in the Tsukiji market, such as sushi restaurant chefs and restaurant purchasers, has also decreased significantly.

The energy-saving measures implemented to save energy and the suspension of subway trains have affected the business of the catering industry.

A businessman who runs a number of high-end restaurants in Tokyo said that electricity saving will make guests return home early. They are anxious to catch a train at 5 o'clock in the evening. After 8 o'clock the train is empty. This week, his business is 90% less.

Yajima, who has opened a sushi restaurant in Tokyo for 35 years, said that the amount of fish is reduced and the scallops are 20 to 30% more expensive than usual. Next year, fresh oysters and scallops will be sold out.

In addition to supply and demand issues, the Japanese seafood market is also shrouded in the shadow of radiation fear. A wholesaler said that some customers do not buy seafood from the north because of fear of radiation.

The staff of the Japan Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Federation stated that people should not worry about this because there is no fish supply in the disaster area, so there is no contaminated seafood on the market. It is the worst of these rumors.