Hokkaido's Okhotsk Scallop Season Kicks Off, Expected to Break 300,000-Ton Catch Mark Again

June 7, 2024 - The scallop fishing season in the Okhotsk Sea off northern Hokkaido, Japan has kicked into full swing, with forecasts calling for the catch to surpass 300,000 tons for the sixth consecutive year.

The Okhotsk Sea is one of Hokkaido's two major scallop production areas, the other being Uchiura Bay. Unlike the suspended culture method used in Uchiura Bay, scallops in the Okhotsk Sea are bottom-seeded, with juvenile scallops scattered across the seafloor.

Fishing grounds in the Okhotsk region started gearing up for the season as early as March, with crews cleaning up leftover shells from the previous season and releasing new seed scallops. The harvesting then rolled out progressively, with operations kicking off first in Sarufutsu in late March, followed by other areas like Toma, Soya, Esashi, Sarobetsu, Rumoi, and Toyoura by the end of May.

The peak of the season arrived in early June, with fishing commencing in Tokkari and Sarobetsu on June 1st, Rausu on June 3rd, and Nishiokoppe on June 4th. However, unfavorable weather delayed the release of seed scallops in the Abashiri region, pushing the start of harvesting there to as late as June 13th. In Toyoura, where fishing is already underway, daily catches are reaching around 100 tons.

Officials from the Wakkanai Fisheries Cooperative are hoping for an increase in meat yield and larger scallop sizes this season. The entire regional fishing activity is expected to continue through November or December, with a target total catch of around 308,000 tons for fiscal year 2024, excluding farming output from Sarobetsu Lake.

While the 2024 forecast is 4% lower than last year's actual performance, it still maintains a catch over 300,000 tons, indicating sustained high productivity. As for the market, frozen scallop meat consumption will be key, as China's blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports has led to increased domestic supply of frozen scallop products. Last season, the Chinese import prohibition, coupled with a weaker yen, enabled major export volumes to the US and Taiwan.

Despite somewhat softer domestic consumption sentiment this year, leveraging expanded sales channels like supermarkets, conveyor belt sushi restaurants, and online shopping will be crucial to achieving "high supply and high consumption" this season.