
Japanese yellowtail fishing grounds have undergone a dramatic shift in recent years. Hokkaido, which previously registered next to no catches, registered the nation's largest annual yellowtail haul in 2020, while Toyama and Niigata prefectures, traditionally known for their winter yellowtail, continue to register poor catches.
It is thought that rising sea temperatures could be behind the change, and some market insiders have even predicted an era in which Hokkaido reigns supreme as the nation's top spot to land winter yellowtail.