Top Japanese Eel Fishing Countries

The Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is a catadromous fish species native to East Asia, prized for its delicate flavor and central role in Japanese cuisine, particularly as "unagi." Over the past decades, wild populations have declined due to overfishing, habitat loss, and barriers to migration. The primary countries involved in harvesting Japanese eel are Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea. While Japan is the largest consumer, much of the eel now comes from China and Taiwan, where young glass eels are captured in the wild and then raised in aquaculture farms. South Korea also plays a significant role in both capture fisheries and aquaculture. The intense demand, especially in Japan, has led to concerns over sustainability and international efforts to regulate and monitor eel fishing and trade.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.