KUSHIMOTO, Wakayama -- Fishing ports in southern Wakayama Prefecture are catching an unusually high number of bonitos for the time of year.
The Kushimoto fishing port in Kushimoto hauled in a total of 33 tons of bonito in January, a month when few bonitos are usually caught. In February, the port is still averaging about 2 to 3 tons per day and has brought in about 6 tons on particularly heavy hauls.
According to the Wakayama prefectural fisheries experimental station, the combined annual catch of the prefecture's three main fishing ports, including Kushimoto, has been in a historic slump since 2000, when it hit a record high of 1,957 tons. In 2018, it marked a record low of 139 tons.
One reason for the slump is believed to be a large shift the Kuroshio current, which is preferred by bonitos. The warm north-flowing current had taken a meandering course that moved it away from the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, according to an expert at the station.
As the shift in the current is ongoing, the expert has not been able to pinpoint a definite reason for the unusually high catch.
According to a broker, the number of restaurant orders had been decreasing because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the steady daily hauls are bringing the market back to life.
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