Government report show landings in 2016 in Hokkaido the main salmon port is the lowest in nearly three decades.
Direct fishery losses of nearly $75 million USD have multiplied into economic sector losses of ~$200 million.
Japanese salmon groups now demanding government approve ocean pasture restoration begin this year.

The number of Japanese salmon caught out of its main fishing ports, including Hokkaido, in 2016 plunged 30%-40% from the previous year to 23.4 million fish, according to the survey by the Hokkaido District Fisheries Coordination Committee. The figure represented the lowest level in 28 years. The collapse has been confidently attributed to poor ocean survival, aka starvation, of four-year-old Chum salmon.

Local fishermen have been increasingly concerned over the fact that the trend of meager catch that continued in recent years has not been held in check and indeed is worsening every year. No amount of concern or regulatory restrictions have had any effect on the collapsing NW Salmon populations.

While last year vigorous stormy weather kept many boats in port in the early days of the autumn fishery, the storms quickly abated and the boats sailed in pursuit of the all important Chum salmon with plenty of time left in the fishing season. No improvement in the fishery was forthcoming. Many regions suffered losses as high as 44% and more over the previous years already reduced catches. Given the shortfall of fish and the scrawny condition of the fish that were caught all evidence points to a cataclysmic collapse of ocean pasture primary productivity and fish starving at sea.
Alaska pink salmon emergency

Salmon numbers so low on Alaska’s ocean pastures that federal government declares a state of emergency – click to read more
Not just JAPAN

Across the Pacific ocean salmon pastures have failed and precious salmon have largely starved to death at sea. As a result the new Trump government has declared a national fishery emergency for the fish of Alaska.

According to the federal proclamation, fishing opportunities were terrible last year as a result of poor returns and conditions this year are certain to be far worse. Last year in the Kodiak region, much of the area remained closed for 70 percent of the season. Only 3.2 million fish were harvested in the Kodiak management area, approximately 20 percent of the average catch over the last five years.
This is What Can Bring The Fish Back
alaska pink salmon bounty

Alaska enjoys largest salmon catch in all of history following ocean fish pasture restoration. click to read more

Some fishermen and organizations are now calling for the government to investigate the potential for ocean pasture restoration which produced a phenomenal restoration of Alaska salmon following the 2012 Gulf of Alaska ocean pasture restoration. That work threw the entire fisheries community into a conundrum as the projected catch of Pink Salmon in Alaska in 2013 was projected to be a very good catch at 50 million fish.

Instead of the 50 million 226 million Pink salmon were caught that year, the largest catch in all of history. The additional ‘pasture fed’ salmon catch according to the State of Alaska delivered more than $700 million USD into the state economy.

More specifically important to the Japanese chum fishery in 2014 the expected Chum returns all along the west coast of North America was also dramatically above projected numbers, in perfect timing with being the result of a thriving ocean fish pasture where the fish were thriving and surviving prior to returning to their home streams and rivers to spawn.