As of the end of January, the salmon catch in Hokkaido increased by 53% compared to the same period last year.

This season, the gillnet fishing operation began around January 20, mainly concentrated in the Ishikari and Hibiya areas, managed by the Ishikari Bay Fishery Cooperative and the Otaru Fishery Cooperative. As of the end of January, the catch from the main production areas included: Ishikari Bay with 300 tons (an increase of 38% compared to the same period last year), Otaru City with 97 tons (an increase of 28%), Yoichi County with 51 tons (a threefold increase), and Shuto Town with 41 tons (an increase of 2.9 times). According to the fishing survey conducted by the Hokkaido Central Fisheries Experiment Station in late January in Ishikari Bay and Atsuta, the median fork length of female herring (extra-large to large) was 29 to 32 centimeters, weighing 270 to 390 grams each; the fork length of male herring (extra-large to large) was typically between 30 to 32 centimeters, weighing 330 to 390 grams each. 90% of the fish eggs were fully mature, with an average ovary weight of about 100 grams. The price of selected female herring in the Ishikari Bay area is approximately 650 to 700 yen per kilogram (4.24 to 4.57 dollars per kilogram), and the price of mixed male and female herring in the Otaru area is approximately 450 to 500 yen per kilogram (2.94 to 3.26 dollars per kilogram), both up by 10 to 20% compared to the same period last year.