By Roland Buerk, Tokyo correspondent, BBC News, Choshi Few industries have been immune to the worldwide collapse in demand, and the fishing industry in Choshi in Japan has been no exception. The high price of fuel drove some boats out of business. Then with the downturn, came a decline in the exports of fish. … Down on the quayside men of the Ishidamaru No 56, a large trawler, were unloading their catch. Using huge net scoops on the end of the boat’s cranes, they reached down into the hold and winched the fish up before dropping them into the back of a truck. Unwanted jellyfish were scattered on the ground, even a hammerhead shark was hauled up on to the quay. “Although oil prices were higher last year, because demand was high and fish prices were higher we didn’t do that badly,” said Morio Boshu, the first mate. “This year, since January – although oil prices were not that high compared to last year – because of the poor catch and low overseas demand due to the high yen, the business has been bad. We’re in the red. We’re losing money.” … Masanobu Sakamoto of the fishermen’s union has already seen boats go out of business and does not see things getting better soon. “In the last one or two months the price of fuel has increased again,” he said. “So we worry about the future, more fishermen will give up their jobs. I worry about that. The consumers will not pay such a high price to cover the increase of fuel cost.” And with fewer boats out fishing, there are fewer fish to buy. …
Bleak outlook for Japan’s fishermen
