FOCUS: Street corner fish stores declining rapidly+

TOKYO, Sept. 26 Kyodo - Fresh fish stores on street corners are disappearing because of the growing
number of fish sections in supermarkets and a declining appetite for fish among
consumers, influencing Japan's unique food culture.
The number of street corner fish stores has more than halved over the last 20
years. According to statistics from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and
Trade, there were 19,709 fish stores across the country in 2007, dropping below
the 20,000 mark for the first time, compared with 44,000 in 1988.
Consumers are increasingly choosing to buy fish at supermarkets. A survey by
the Japan Fisheries Association found that 77 percent of households bought
marine produce from fish sections in supermarkets in fiscal 2007.
The Fisheries Agency said that with the decline in street corner fish stores,
consumption of horse mackerel, sardines and squid is decreasing. Imports of
tuna and salmon are increasing because their prices are stable and specific
amounts can be secured.
The biggest problem for street corner fish stores is preserving the freshness
of fish. An official at a major fish store said, ''Fresh fish is perishable and
hard to handle. If you increase the proportion of dried marine products, you're
bound to lose competitiveness and will be forced to close down your store.''
Vegetables can be sold two to three days after being procured, but fish
deteriorates in minutes after being carved with a knife. How to sell fresh fish
with a good turnover rate determines the fate of a fish store.
Store owners buy fish at markets early in the morning and work until night.
''On top of that, if they can't earn much, no one will replace them. There's no
positive factor to encourage growth in the number of stores,'' an agency
official said.
About 3,000 kinds of fish live in the waters around Japan helping to nurture
the country's cuisine. But Japanese people, especially the young, are consuming
less fish and the per capita purchase amount has decreased about 30 percent
since 1965.
A Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries survey found that Japanese
people prefer meat because it is difficult to get hold of fresh, good-quality
fish and shellfish. Many people are also dissatisfied that they are unable to
eat local fish.
According to a major fish store, fish sections in supermarkets stock a wide
variety of frozen fish while fresh fish accounts for 20 percent of the total.
In thriving street corner fish stores, fresh fish accounts for around 50
percent. An executive of the Tokyo Uoshougyou Cooperative Society said, ''The
percentage is a bit high, but much of the fish is very fresh and seasonal.''
But people with jobs are choosing the convenience of supermarkets, which stock
salted salmon with a long shelf life and fillets of thawed fish.
A Fisheries Agency official said, ''The mismatch between consumers' desire for
very fresh fish and distribution is accelerating people's shift away from
fish.''
==Kyodo