from giant squid to giant tuna today we will explore how fishermen Around the World Harvest the world's most consumed Seafood on a massive scale in 2023 a fisherman in the C River Alaska landed a shinok salmon weighing 65 lb this is a rare catch of recreational fishermen commercial fishermen use two main methods to fish salmon one of which is called purse sinning fishermen use massive circular Nets that trap entire schools in open Waters of Alaska's Southeastern Coast Can you estimate how much pink salmon this team caught over 1.3 million besides per signing in Alaska's Bristol Bay Gil Nets are used strategically at River mouths targeting only mature salmon as they head Inland in 2022 Alaska's salmon Fisheries yielded 770 million pound of salmon contributing $5.7 billion to the state's economy salmon begin their life in freshwater rivers before migrating to the ocean and eventually returning to their birthplace to re produce this journey covers up to 900 Mi for salmon like scky and coo each species has unique migration Windows making timing crucial for fishermen for example in Washington's Puget Sound Sakai run Peak from mid July while shinuk season generally runs later around August Japanese fishermen have landed some of the world's most extraordinary tunic catches including several massive blue fin ones that weigh over 62 lb they are either s fresh or frozen at approximately 76 to $152 a pound at Tokyo's to USU Market a single blue tuner was auction for $3.1 million setting the record for the highest price ever paid for a fish every year starting from June to September these giant fish migrate near Japan following a warm Pacific current at a speed of around 44 mph this 1,000m migration kicks off the chuna fishing season from August to January to locate the school of fish Japanese chuna fisherman use a Sona fish finder that scans the waters around 200 ft from the boat when the tuna finder responds fishermen throw the fishing line attached with life bait to Target individual fish this traditional and sustainable fishing method is generally called pole and line and one of its variations is the single hook handline technique once the fish eat and pull the bait it makes a big noise this alerts the fisherman to come and reel it in Blue Fin chuna is a very strong and aggressive fish to deal with so anything can happen now it's 492 ft to go but this unlucky fisherman in our Mor Japan's top tuna fishing brief CH is struggling with his Tangled line the tuna keeps tugging and doesn't let him finish fixing it some fishermen use an electric shocker to conquer the these aggressive Giants when it's close the fishermen then use large hooks to hook the fish's mouth and bleed the gills immediately to preserve the fish's flavor the average size for a fully mature blue finin shuna is around 135 lb roughly the weight of an animal human so it's not easy to bring it on board if you're all alone next some fishermen will Spike to destroy the brain then they will r run a small wire back and forth across the fish's spine to flush it like this to quickly reduce lactic acid ultimately keeping it fresh for much longer the whole bleeding gutting and delivering process is extremely important because slight damage to the flesh will greatly reduce the price some fishermen freeze tuna for the same reason for Japanese Coastal provinces this freezing and processing line is expensive but worth investing in because chuna contributes significantly to Japan's 14.4 billion fishing industry in 2023 the blue fin chuna catch quter was set at10 million for Japanese Coastal waters for larger scale operations that fish many other types of tuna per signing is the go-to method in this technique boats use a vast net sometimes over 6,000 ft long and encircle entire skulls some fishermen even use dye and speed boats to confuse the fish once the tuna is inside the net cines like a drawstring creating a closed Circle this precise technique is often used in the deep sea Waters off the coast of honu and hoco 83% of the total tuna caught worldwide is consumed in this country in various world famous dishes like sushi and sashimi this increasing demand has rebuilt towns like kesan Numa a keyhub for chuna processing and Export which suffer greatly in the 2011 tsunami but in recent years increased typhoon activity like typhoon hashen in 2020 with waves reaching Heights of over 30 ft and typhoon shanan in August 2024 has made Japanese chuna fishing one of the most challenging Marine occupations in the world in the cold Waters of Maine a state in the New England region of the US Lobster fishermen have caught lobsters weighing as much as 44b the world's largest lobster on record normally those weighing over can bring in over $500 at the market commercial fishermen often use baited traps placed along the ocean floor setting them up in lines called troll lines here in Maine each fisherman is only allowed a maximum of 800 traps meanwhile Massachusetts and New Hampshire have stricter limits to preserve local populations those with eggs are breeding females so fishermen give them a v-shaped notch on the tail to let others know its gender then release them back into the ocean to sustain the future Lobster population on average out of a th000 Eggs only one typically survives to adulthood during its lifetime which can reach over 50 years lobsters reached full maturity by shedding up to 25 times in their first s years in most areas of the US the lobsters count compus has measured between 3.3 and 5.3 in to be legal to catch the estimated Lobster population off New
England's Coast reaches around 250 million pounds one of the most stable populations in the world of that main alone produces around 123 million pounds of lobster each year and alongside Massachusetts these two states account for over over 85% of America's Lobster production the main lobster industry supports more than 10,000 jobs because its lobsters are high value exports with more than 83 million shipped to Europe and Asia each year however this was not always the case in the 1800s lobsters were so abundant and sheep that they were often fed to prisoners in New England giant squid is a rare and almost mythical catch hidden in the Deep cold Waters of the Pacific but a more common catch of giant squid is the giant Humbolt squid in US Waters particularly of California and Mexico's Baja Peninsula they can reach up to 118 lb and often measure over 5.3 ft long making them a challenging and valuable catch giant squid can fetch prices upward of $220,000 due to their Rarity and high demand for exotic Seafood besides giant squid smaller squid are also a major economic resource for squid fishermen across Japan South Korea and the US these Fisheries mainly use jigging techniques to catch tons of squid each year in Japan flying squid is especially abundant from July through through September unlike other places Japanese fishermen often catch them at night under High powerered lights to draw more squid to the surface freshness is crucial so on many vessels squid a box with ice within minutes of capture to retain their unique texture and flavor Japan alone Imports around 110,000 tons of squid annually to meet local demand while the US consumes roughly 170 million each year this makes squid a culinary staple from sushi bars in Tokyo to Seafood joints in San Francisco every year over 60 million pounds of mullet row are harvested across diverse regions including the Mediterranean coasts of Italy and the vibrant fishing communities of Taiwan and Japan it is used to make a covered product known as Baga in taiwan's tyan Harbor Advanced farming techniques have boosted annual mlet row harvests by 20% reaching over2 million on average a single mullet can yield up to 5% of its body weight in row meaning a large fish can provide nearly a pound of this prized product similarly Japanese fishermen in the satto island sea process around 3,000 fish daily contributing approximately 10 million to the global market annually meanwhile Florida's burgeoning Market sees annual catches surpassing 1.5 million driven by increasing domestic and international demand once harvested and prepared mullet row undergoes a meticulous curing process which significantly influences the pricing of the global $250 million Baga industry the priciest Batanga comes from Italy and can fetch up to $200 per pound row sacks are carefully washed to eliminate impurities before being heavily salted the salting process can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day depending on the size of the road the row are then pressed by stacking up on each other under heavy weights after this they are washed one by one next is the drying process which is done differently in different countries Japanese and Taiwanese factories employ traditional Sund drying techniques flipping every 2 to 3 hours depending on the sun's intensity because the row membrane can be easily broken some facilities patch the broken row with piggin ton membranes the patching step is probably the most timec consuming in the entire process this requires at least five skilled workers for a batch of 3,000 row these facilities process approximately £3 million of row annually for the US and European markets export meanwhile Italian makers hang them up in the shade this unique treatment gives the final product its firm golden brown texture and characteristic Aroma once dried the Baga is vacuum sealed and distributed to Gourmet markets and fine dining establishments worldwide in Italy some of the most popular dishes include classic spaghetti with Baga while in taian grilled Baga is preferred its Bold Flavor isn't f everyone but those who appreciate it often become lifelong fans it's easy to see why a harmonious blend of sweetness Savory notes and a creamy texture sets this delicacy apart from other Seafood options sturgeon especially Beluga can take nearly 20 years to mature before their row can be harvested that why it can fetch up to $225,000 per pound making it one of the most expensive Foods in the world at this facility only 10 to 20% of fish are harvested each year this is after careful screening using ultrasound technology to ensure top quality eggs once mature the fish are either antiz or euthanased before their row is surgically REM removed this is done by cutting open the fish and delicately removing in the egg sack a process called stripping you see there isn't a drop of blood when cutting because the fish were washed thoroughly beforehand The Firm texture of the eggs is a key marker of quality with larger eggs fetching larger prices Some Farms use a less invasive method milking eggs from living sturgeon at 43° F to spare their life and save money the eggs are then separated from the egg sack by gently rubbing them over a metal grate to remove impurities about eight fish are processed a day and that usually produces around 16 million eggs if needed blood clots or malformed eggs are carefully picked out using tweezers this process can take about an hour per batch at marshallberg farms one of the biggest caviar farms in the US after roow extraction the eggs are rinsed and immediately salted with fine natural M salt this step is crucial as it not only enhances the flavor but preserves the caviar for retail for up to 3 months once prepared the caviar is packed into airtight tins graded and shipped all all around the world caviar is typically graded into two main categories Superior and classic Superior caviar features larger lighter colored eggs with a firmer texture priced at around $1200 a pound while classic caviar with smaller darker eggs sells for around $798 a kilog some caviar is aged for up to 3 months which deepens the flavor while boosting the Delicacies value while the Caspian Sea is one of the world's most renowned regions for caviar because of their attraction of some of the most popular sturgeon species the fish are now farmed globally in 2023 the US imported $19.8 Million worth of cavar with China dominating 70% of the market however American Farms are also quickly Rising producing over 5,300 lb of cavar annually more than double the previous year's output salmon row also known as Ura in Japan are its biggest consumer and is processed similarly to caviar the texture is delightful a satisfying pop when you gently press the eggs against the roof of your mouth followed by a burst of juicy flavor raising and processing these fish is labor intensive so though less expensive than caviar cmonroe still sells for around $100 a pound in the US salmon row comes in various sizes from the tiny 5 mm Pearls of the Sakai salmon to the larger CM size eggs of chum salmon the eggs have a honey likee consistency and color for a Japanese culinary experience try iura sushi this traditional dish features a strip of nori seaweed wrapped around sushi rice topped with a generous dollop of salmon row many people prefer salmon row because while it's not as expensive as caviar it is packed with nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids and minerals that increase your result resistance to UV radiation and combat sun damage harvesting Herring row on kelp is a traditional method used to produce commercial Herring row particularly in regions like Alaska and British Colombia the unique thing is that Herring row can be eaten immediately right after harvest because it's not actually in the fish Every Spring fishermen Place submerged kelp beds in the ocean where Herring is predicted to spawn the fish lay the eggs on the kelp leaves and the row covered kelp is carefully collected you can even see the first sign of spawning from above which is the light colored water because Herring eggs are white some other places use different types of plants instead of kelp the plants are soaked for only 2 to 3 days or until the water starts to clear once harvested the plants are processed by washing and curing to prepare the row for Market the row is immersed in a salty brine solution for up to 24 hours this technique is priced for its sustainability as it allows Herring populations to remain largely intact while producing valuable Row for export especially to Japan where it's considered a iy called kazano however harvesting Herring Road this way is not as productive as harvesting the whole fish with a large net in Kodiak Alaska alone over 15,000 tons of Herring row are processed annually factories in places like hoko Japan handle 4,000 lb of row daily for markets in Europe and the US row is often packaged free fresh or frozen and shipped in vacuum sealed bags to preserve freshness during transport Japan Remains the largest importer with nearly 90% of Alaska's roow exports headed to Japanese markets where hering row is a staple for the New Year celebrations after processing premium quality Kazan noo can sell for over $120 a pound especially when sold in speciality stores or directly to high-end restaurants
2024-11-03