April 13, 2018 by Miwa Suzuki
Eel is a delicacy enjoyed all over Japan

Japan is on track for a record low catch of baby eels this year,
renewing fears about declining stocks of the endangered fish, a favoured
summer delicacy for Japanese.

At the end of March, Japan had 8.8 tons of baby “Anguilla japonica” eels
in culture ponds, including imports from China, Taiwan and South Korea,
according to a preliminary tally by the fisheries agency.

That is a plunge from more than 18 tons logged at the same time in the
last two years.

The tally refers to baby eels caught in Japan, as well as those caught
elsewhere in Asia and imported by Japan.

The fish are usually caught in the wild and sold to farmers who raise
them until they are big enough for culinary use.

The fishing season that began in December will end in…