Puffer Fish Season Open For Business
The season for catching puffer fish on long lines has opened in western Japan. Puffer fish sashimi is a popular delicacy in the country.
About 50 people attended a departure ceremony at a market in the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The area is Japan's leading puffer supplier.
Boats were loaded with 3,000 young fish about 15 centimeters long to be released for future catches.
The local association of long-liners says 37 tons of the fish were caught in the prefecture last season. That's about six tons more than previously. But a price slump as people dined out less during the pandemic has posed a challenge to operators.
Fishing boat skipper Nakashima Yutaka said fishers struggled with lower prices caused by the pandemic, so he hopes prices will be stable this year.
The season continues until the end of March.