Free Newsletter
June Tsukiji Market Results Report 3.2% Decrease in Volume
July 3, 2008
Merchandise handled by seven wholesalers in Tsukiji market in June declined by 3.2% in volume to 46,343 tons and by 4.1% in amount to 35.6 billion yen from the same month last year. The average unit price slightly dropped by 1.0% to 769 yen. Despite this slump, both Chuo Gyorui and Tsukiji Uoichiba enjoyed increases in volume and amount. Daito Gyorui wound up with a 15% decrease in both categories.
| June Results of Handled Merchandise at Other Markets |
| Market | Volume | Unit Price | Amount |
| Adachi Market | 2,434 tons
(13.6% down) | \747
(7.0% up) | \1.818 billion
(7.6% down) |
| Ohta Market | 1,812 tons
(3.3% down) | \823
(0.1% down) | \1.491 billion
(3.4% down) |
| Chiba Market | 1,981 tons
(10.5% down) | \768
(0.1% up) | \1.521 billion
(10.4% down) |
| Funabashi Market | 2,122 tons
(12.1% down) | \711
(7.0% up) | \1.509 billion
(6.0% down) |
| Kashiwa Market | 1,984 tons
(13.7% down) | \863
(5.9% up) | \1.713 billion
(8.7% down) |
Translated by Kiyo Hayasaka on July 2, 2008
Fisheries Research Agency Succeeds in Unprecedented Mass Seedling of Snow Crab
July 3, 2008
The Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) unprecedentedly succeeded in the high-volume seedling of snow crab. Breeding snow crabs in a large tank, the agency produced a record amount totaling 18,366 snow crab juveniles in May 2008.
Incubated snow crab goes through periods of zoea and megalops by ecdysis; development takes two months before reaching the juvenile stage. During this process snow crabs are prone to bacterial infectious diseases, making snow crab breeding a challenge. Since the world’s first breakthrough by a Fukui Prefecture fisheries experiment station in 1969, juvenile snow crab annual production volume stayed at 1,500, until 2002.
The FRA launched its own research on snow crab seedling development technique at Kohama Center for Stock Enhancement in 1984. The FRA studied the breeding conditions of the zoea period and by 2005 they successfully engendered 100,000 snow crabs of the megalops period.
The FRA, then, began research on the breeding conditions of the megalops period in 2006 and successfully achieved the breeding of snow crab juveniles in large tanks by relocating juveniles during the late megalops period to other tanks for prevention of bacterial infectious diseases from tank waste and regulating the appropriate water-bath temperature.
“We are going to conduct feeding trials and experimental release of the juveniles, by which we will be able to unravel the mysterious biology of snow crab. We can expect the technological advancement of farming snow crabs and resource management,” said the FRA.
Translated by Kiyo Hayasaka on July 2, 2008
Inquiry concerning The Suisan Times: suisan@suisantimes.co.jp
Inquiry concerning The Frozen Food Times: reisyoku@suisantimes.co.jp
