Japan's Declining Fish Catch Raises Trade Prospects
By Fawzi A. TahaABSTRACT
Japan was the world's leading harvester of marine products until 1988, surpassing other major producers such as China, Peru, Chile, the Former Soviet Union, and the United States. Between 1988 and 1997, however, the Japanese fish and shellfish catch dropped 42 percent, falling to its lowest level in 31 years. The fall in fish catch can be attributed to several factors including the imposition of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Japan that substantially limited its pelagic catch, stock depletions due to overfishing in deep seas and offshore waters, and water pollution in inland and coastal waters.
The growing gap between catch and consumption caused prices to rise rapidly. However, per capita fish and shellfish consumption remains higher than that for all meats. To meet rising demand, Japan became the world's largest importer of fish and shellfish, generating one third of global fish and shellfish imports. The United States became its largest supplier up to 1996, when China became the largest. The outlook for exporting to Japan is excellent because the U.S. catch contains most of the species prized highly in the Japanese market, such as salmon, crabs, and Alaska pollack.
KEYWORDS: Japan's fish catch, U.S. fish exports, per capita fish and meat consumption, Japan's fish imports,water pollution in Japan.
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