Japan's fish catch in 2022 fell 7.5% from a year earlier to a record low 3.85 million tons, government data showed Tuesday, as global warming has continued to take its toll.

The total, which includes farm-grown fish, was the lowest figure since comparable data became available in 1956 and marked a second consecutive year of decline, according to the data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The annual white paper on fisheries said the poor catch is likely to continue in the long term due to rising sea temperatures.

By category, saury slipped 5.6% from the previous year to 18,400 tons, while Japanese flying squid fell 8.3% to 29,700 tons and octopus dropped 18.7% to 22,200 tons — all record lows, the data said.

Sardine was down 4.2% to 613,200 tons due to poor catch in Miyagi and Aichi prefectures, while mackerel declined 28.5% to 315,900 tons, dragged down by low figures in Ibaraki and Mie prefectures, according to the data.

Apart from global warming, overfishing has also been a factor in the decline in catches, while the government is working to strengthen regulations.

To better understand and manage marine resources, the government is aiming to increase the number of fish species it monitors from 50 in fiscal 2018 to around 200 by the end of this fiscal year.

The data also showed that salmon increased 55.0% to 87,900 tons and anchovy rose 13.3% to 135,100 tons.

Among cultured species, scallop advanced 4.6% to 172,100 tons, led by an increase in Hokkaido, while eel declined 7.3% to 19,155 tons.