The Toyoshima Tachiuo is a species of cutlassfish caught off Toyoshima in Toyohama-cho, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is caught using a fishing technique passed down through generations among Toyoshima fishermen, which involves fishing without nets. It is protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) under registration number 84.
Features and Quality
The Toyoshima Tachiuo's distinctive characteristics are its shiny, scratch-free skin and its freshness, achieved through fishing techniques and freshness control. Fishermen are meticulous about catching fish individually using trolling, minimizing damage or scratches on the fishing boat. Fish with intact skin and tails are packed in Styrofoam shipping boxes according to their size and immediately killed with ice before shipping. Thanks to its scratch-free skin and freshness, Toyoshima Tachiuo commands 20 to 30 percent higher prices than cutlassfish from other regions.
84 Toyoshima Tachiuo (地理的表示産品情報発信サイト)
Hunting Area and Method
The seas off Toyoshima have both fast and slow tides, creating rich fishing grounds for Japanese sand lance and other small fish species that cutlassfish feed on.
Cutlassfish fishing began in the region around 1955, with catches of approximately 4 tonnes. Catches increased around 1970, reaching 106 tonnes in 1973 and 1,962 tonnes in 1980. Current freshness management practices have also been in place since about 1970.
The Toyoshima Fishing Port has ice-making and freight-handling facilities necessary for cooperative consolidation and shipment, where landed swordfish are sorted and inspected before shipment. The production area is the seas off Toyoshima in Toyohama-cho, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The applicant is the Kure Toyoshima Fishing Cooperative.
The current situation
Due to the recent decline in both fish and fishermen in the Seto Inland Sea (an inland sea surrounded by the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu), Toyoshima Tachiuo shipping volumes have slowed. Shipping volumes were 301 tonnes in 2013, 245 tonnes in 2014, 184 tonnes in 2015, and 115 tonnes in 2016. This has stimulated efforts to cultivate new fishing techniques, including actively recruiting new fishermen at the local level. The Seto Inland Sea consists of numerous island groups, rich ecosystems, and is known for its large tidal differences, with seawater flowing like river water in some areas. These tides create the Naruto gyres.
