Free Newsletter

Nichirei Logistics Group Adds 40,000 Ton Warehouse in Poland

October 15, 2009

Frigo Logistics of the Nichirei Logistics Group recently completed the construction of the Radomsko Center in Radomsko, located in South Central Poland. Combined with an existing center in Zunin, in Midwestern Poland, the new warehouse construction enables distribution of goods within 24 hours throughout Poland. The company is already taking care of cold foods bulk distributions for a major retailer and a major ice cream company's distribution operations. The company is also aiming for business expansion in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Radomsko Center is located 180 km away southwest from the capital, Warsaw. This location is a favorable place near the South where population is concentrated. There are 50,694 square meters of land with one story building with steel skeleton construction; it has capacities of 26,620 pallets and 43,200 tons. The temperature inside the warehouse is -24 °C and the freighting section is set at 0 °C. Approximately \2 billion was invested in this project.

The Nichirei Logistics Group established its Nichirei HD Holland Office in Rotterdam in 1988. In 2004, the Group bought out Frigo Logistics. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary of advancement into Europe in 2008. Under the wings of the company in the Netherlands, there are four cold refrigeration companies and two cold transportation and customs companies.

The original article was published on October 15, 2009 and was translated by Kiyo Hayasaka.

National Fishing Ports and Grounds Convention to be Held on Oct 15

October 13, 2009

The 61st National Fishing Ports and Grounds Convention, hosted by the National Fishing Ports and Grounds Association, will be held in Tokyo on October 15. Approximately 1,300 people are expected to gather up.

At the convention, as "Steady implementations of fishing ports and grounds improvement project and an emphasis program of social capital (coastal line project)" the following subjects will be discussed: 1) steady implementation of fisheries infrastructure improvements to regain marine resources and enhance fishing ground productivities; 2) steady implementation of fishing port and ground improvements to heighten production and distribution functions and to strengthen local production site sales forces; 3) steady implementation of comprehensive fishing village reinvigoration measures to increase community attractiveness and to support marine businesses; and 4) reinforcement of disaster preventions and reductions of fishing ports, grounds, and coasts, e.g. earthquake tsunami and tidal waves.

In addition, Masahiko Isobe, Associate Chancellor and Professor of Graduate School of Frontier Sciences of Tokyo Univ., will give a lecture "The Future of Fisheries Infrastructure Improvements."

After the convention, requests to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery, the Ministry of Finance, and other ministries will be conducted.

The original article was published on October 13, 2009 and was translated by Kiyo Hayasaka.

October Tokyo Central Market Stats: Arrivals of salmon/Trout Increase

October 13, 2009

An aggregate amount of fish arrivals for the month of September (a total of fresh, frozen, and processed seafood) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market indicated an increase from the previous month; the wholesale price (an average price per kg of the entire marine foods) exhibited a bearish move. The market trends of the main marine foods for October go as follows:

Japanese Sardine (fresh): its arrival amount is expected to remain unchanged from the previous month; its wholesale price also will remain flat. The main fishing grounds are the coast of Sanin, around Oki, and the Northern part of the Pacific, the coast of Sanriku.

Salmon/Trout (salt-preserved and frozen): arrivals of seasonal chum salmon will reduce due to the passing of its season, however, overall, it is forecasted that more fish will come in. The wholesale price will exhibit no significant change, moving sideways.

Mackerel (fresh): its arrival quantity is slated to increase slightly over the prior month as a result of continuously favorable catches; its wholesale price is predicted to trend upward due to its larger sizes and strong demand. Mackerel from the Northern part of the Pacific, near Sanriku, weigh 400 to 500g, an indication of its improved size.

Japanese Flying Squid (fresh and frozen): slumping arrivals have been seen on the coast sides of the Japan Sea, which is expected to continue; and therefore, its wholesale price is believed to move bullishly. Size 20 is becoming a standard on both the Japan Sea side and the Pacific side.

Japanese Horse Mackerel (fresh): a similar mount to the previous month will arrive and the wholesale price will also move flat.

Tuna (frozen): compared to the prior month, red meat will display a slight increase and fatty parts will move sideways. As a whole, there will be no change. Its wholesale price will also shift sideways.

Bonito (fresh): bonito has been continuously arriving in a slumping manner since the previous month; its wholesale price will move horizontally due partly to its smaller size.

Saury (fresh): compared to the prior month, less saury will arrive; as for its wholesale price, an increase in medium size will contribute to its flat move.

	Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market Wholesale Price (approximate figures)
	September (yen/kg)	Comparison with previous month* (%)	Year-to-year comparison (%)	Average year comparison* (%)
Sardine (fresh)	436	124	52	79
Salmon/Trout (average)**	626	96	102	100
Silver Salmon (salted)	677	100	102	105
Chum Salmon (salted)	407	100	105	117
Chum Salmon (Tokisake-salted)	767	100	114	113
Sockeye Salmon (salted)	1,059	100	119	100
Salmon (frozen products) ***	586	100	99	100
Mackerel (fresh)	405	131	99	99
Japanese Flying Squid (average)	386	109	111	101
Fresh	390	111	112	100
Frozen	350	94	100	100
Horse Mackerel (fresh)	401	84	75	68
Tuna (frozen products)****	1,292	98	81	97
Big-eyed Tuna	959	103	90	106
Yellowfin Tuna	996	99	112	157
Bluefin Tuna	3,263	100	78	107
Southern Bluefin	1,966	94	74	85
Bonito (fresh)	624	98	106	119
Saury (fresh)	397	94	103	103

*: The September prices are the preliminary results from Sep. 1 thru 20; the average year means a period of 2004 to 2008.
**: Salmon/trout (average) includes salt-preserved and frozen products.
***: This category mainly includes coho salmon, silver salmon, chum salmon, Tokisake, sockeye salmon, and Atlantic salmon.
****: Frozen tuna products consist of big-eyed, yellowfin, bluefin, and Southern bluefin tunas.

The original article was published on October 13, 2009 and was translated by Kiyo Hayasaka.

Japan Ocean Aquaculture Association Invites Consumers to Fish Farm

October 7, 2009

The Japan Ocean Aquaculture Association (Chairman Katsuji Shimano) organized an event "Discussion Meeting on Farmed Fish and Observation Tour" at the Uchiura Fisheries Cooperative Association in Shizuoka Prefecture on October 5, in hopes of helping consumers and distributors in the Kanto area understand farmed fish more. 26 people from five groups, such as the Chuo City Consumer Advocate Group and a consumer group Acty, as well as two from a fresh fish wholesaler attended the event. The Association conducted similar events in the districts of Kansai and Kyushu. Participants, riding on two boats, observed the feeding of common horse mackerel and red sea bream in cages. An aquaculture farmer provided information on aquaculture environment, fish feed, and drugs.

A farmer explained the worsening business conditions by saying, "In the past, farmed red sea bream was sold at \2,500/kg, but now it's worth a few hundred yen. On the other hand, fish feed has risen \1,000 from three to four years ago." In addition to questions about juvenile suppliers, water temperatures, and cage density, safety related inquiries, such as "how drugs are used" and "drugs are attached to fishing net" were brought up.

Visitors then savored sashimi of common horse mackerel, amberjack, and red sea bream raised by the Urauchi Fisheries Cooperative Association, as well as miso soup, Satsuma-age, and dried fish.

Promoting Attractiveness of Cultured Fish

In the afternoon, a discussion meeting was held with the participations of Tomihisa Onuma, President of the Uchiura Fisheries Cooperative Association, Motoo Suzuki from the Shizuoka Pref. Fisheries Research Center, and Atsushi Kano from the Fish Ranching and Aquaculture Division of the Resources Enhancement Promotion Department of the Fisheries Agency.

Kazuhiro Fukawa from the Japan Ocean Aquaculture Association said, "By taking advantage of this event to solve questions about cultured fish, I would like you to understand its attractiveness." Active discussions were then carried out. Regarding an inquiry about antiseptics and drugs, Mr. Onuma said, "We make sure to comply with drug resting periods regulated by the government. There are surprise inspections, too." The understanding of the safety of farmed fish among participants deepened.

One participant said, "The sashimi we had for lunch was quite good. That was because of the freshness of the fish?" A producer responded, "wild fish gives you a sense of seasons, and therefore there is a time when it's not fatty at all. In contrast, in case of farmed fish, the quality of fish can be controlled by feed, which enables us to offer the best quality throughout the year as needed."

Nobushige Morita, who runs Izugin Shoten inside Urayasu Uoichiba (Urayasu Fish Market) and also engages in a fish rock band, shared his view, "Visiting a fish farm today had a sobering effect on me. It's impossible to deliver taste without the understanding of what it is; therefore, it is essential to have communication. It will be quite intriguing if a store clerk of a fish section at a supermarket loves fish enough to be able to explain it to customers, but it hasn't been the case. We, Izugin Shoten, cherish our fish as much as our clients. Supermarkets are just chasing numbers, so it may be difficult for them to understand it, unless it is a privately owned fish retailer."

In addition, aquaculture business entities belonging to the Uchiura Fisheries Cooperative Association reduced by a third compared to its heyday. An aquaculture production amount for 1998 was 3,713 tons; however, it was slashed by half to 1,800 tons last year. Referring to this reality, there was an opinion that stated, "Seemingly, you are in dire straits. You are producing such delicious fish, so you may need to promote it more aggressively."

After the observation tour, visitors were given questionnaires about the fish's quality and fattiness, as well as whole red sea bream and common horse mackerel as a gift.

The original article was published on October 7, 2009 and was translated by Kiyo Hayasaka.

Hokkaido Chum Salmon Harvest Indicates 30% Increase Until Late Sep.

October 6, 2009

According to statistics released by the Hokkaido Fisheries Cooperatives Association, as of late September, the chum salmon catch amount marked a 30 percent hike, 64,755 tons, far more than predicted prior to the beginning of the season.

In the previous season, an unfavorable harvest amount of 116,000 tons was recorded with an average unit price of \430 per kg. The first half of the harvest season last year especially slumped; an aggregate catch amount until October 10, 2008 ended in 69,000 tons. During the last half, a catch amount increased, however the result was significantly lower than the level of 160,000 to 180,000 tons of recent years.

For this year, prior to the start of the season, the forecasted catch amount was from 80,000 to 120,000 tons; however, recorded performance up until late September indicated a pace of the 2007 level, approx. 160,000 tons.

The Kushiro district registered 12,000 tons, a six percent rise; the Nemuro district 15,000 tons, a 22 percent jump; and the Kitami area 24,000 tons, a 45 percent increase. All these and other main districts have been recording harvest amounts higher than last year.

Market prices as of September 30 were as follows: at Kushiro (Otsu), female salmon was priced at \560 to 570 (around \715 year to year) and male salmon at \190 to 200 (around \210 last year). At Nemuro (Shibetsu), female salmon was sold at \500 to 510 (\640 to 650 last year) and male at \175 to 185 (\240 to 250).

The future trend of this season is attracting attention.

The original article was published on October 6, 2009 and was translated by Kiyo Hayasaka.

Inquiry concerning The Suisan Times: suisan@suisantimes.co.jp
Inquiry concerning The Frozen Food Times: reisyoku@suisantimes.co.jp