Hiroshima Prefecture ¡ª which accounts for about 60% of Japan¡¯s oyster production ¡ª is facing a crisis after farmed oysters began dying en masse across the region, prompting fears among farmers about the industry¡¯s survival.
Producers in coastal areas of the city of Higashihiroshima have reported mortality rates of 80% to 90%, according to local authorities. The cause remains unclear, with officials examining whether the losses stem from rising seawater temperatures, reduced rainfall or other environmental factors.
Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki inspected a processing site in Higashihiroshima on Wednesday and said the government would move quickly to investigate the cause and consider financial support measures.
¡°Less than 10% of the oysters are still alive,¡± said Tatsuya Morio, 49, who runs an oyster farming and sales business in the city. Standing before what he described as an almost total loss, he briefed Suzuki on the damage.
After meeting with local producers, the minister said: ¡°The situation is extremely severe. I want to show as soon as possible what assistance can be provided under the current framework.¡±
The neighboring city of Kure has also been hit hard. At the farm of 50-year-old producer Shuji Yamane, more than 90% of harvested oysters were dead. ¡°We can¡¯t even take year-end gift orders. Every day is filled with anxiety,¡± he said.
Kure temporarily halted applications at the end of October for donations under the furusato n¨zei (hometown tax donation) system in which fresh oysters are offered as gifts. Officials have since been contacting donors who had already contributed 1,738 donations, arranging substitutions such as frozen oysters or processing cancellations.
The sharp drop in supply is raising concerns about competition and higher prices. A popular oyster shack in the city of Hiroshima¡¯s Minami Ward said procurement ¡°is steady for now,¡± but that the peak season requires about a ton of oysters per month.
¡°I¡¯m worried about whether we¡¯ll actually be able to secure oysters and whether prices will surge,¡± the manager said.
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