A Hokkaido research institute predicts about a 4 percent drop in the catch of salmon in prefectural waters this autumn due to colder waters that make it harder for fry to survive.
Still, the total estimated catch represents less than half of the over 60 million salmon in Hokkaido waters recorded in 2004. While the catch of fall salmon has fluctuated in the past three decades, the overall trend for the previous 12 years has been one of decline.
The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute, part of the Hokkaido Research Organization, predicts that about 24.8 million salmon will be caught in Hokkaido waters during the autumn run, a 3.8 percent drop from 2016.