WHOLESALE PRICES AT TOKYO CENTRAL WHOLESALE MARKET

                      DECEMBER 18 - 26, 1997

All prices shown are in yen/kg unless otherwise stated. Exchnge   
rates are: 127-130 yen = U.S.$1.00 for December 18 - 26, 1997.    
                                         
------------------------------------------------------------------
Species                      Origin          Price range (yen/kg)
                                             High   Average    low
------------------------------------------------------------------
BLUEFIN TUNA,   fresh, G & H
  Dec. 25 Sales volume 39 fish   Los Angeles 4,100 - 2,481 - 2,000 
BIGEYE TUNA,    fresh                           
  Dec. 25 Sales volume 45 fish   New York    8,000 - 4,802 -   800 
  Dec. 24 Sales volume 118 fish  Australia   7,000 - 1,730 -   300
  Dec. 25 Sales volume  7 fish   Hawaii      3,500 - 2,670 - 2,000
  Dec. 26 Sales volume 298 fish  Bali        4,000 - 1,257 -   400
YELLOWFIN TUNA,  fresh                                            
  Dec. 26 Sales volume 22 fish   New Zealand 2,000 - 1,340 -   800
SEA URCHIN ROE (fresh)                                            
(Date of sale) (Sales volume)  
  Dec. 26        1,042 trays   Los Angeles   10,500 - 2,800/tray*
  Dec. 25          800 trays   Chile          3,000 - 1,100/tray*
  Dec. 25          546 trays   Peru           2,600 - 2,100/tray*
  Dec. 26        2,205 trays   San Francisco  5,300 - 1,500/tray*
  Dec. 22          126 trays   Alaska         2,700 - 1,200/tray* 
  Dec. 26        1,477 trays N.America(green) 4,500 - 1,600/tray*
  Dec. 25        7,200 packs                  1,100 -  150/pack**
     *   (tray=280-380 grams in net weight)
     **  (pack=    100 grams in net weight)
ALASKA POLLOCK ROE
   Salted, processed, frozen roe
   Grade A                 U.S.A.    Large    2,500 -  1,500     
                                     Medium   3,000 -  1,800     
                                     Small    2,700 -  1,800     
HERRING ROE
   Salted products         Canada    Large    5,500 -  5,000     
   Grade A                           Medium   4,500 -  4,000     
                                     Small    3,800 -  3,300
HERRING ROE ON KELP        Canada             7,500 -            
                      San Francisco           6,000
SALMON ROE (SUJIKO)
   Salted, processed
                       Bristol  Red :  Grade A  2,700 -     2,500 
                                       Grade B  2,300 -     2,100 
                                       Grade C  1,900 -     1,700 
                       PWS/SE   Chum:  Grade A  2,800 -     2,600 
                                       Grade B  2,400 -     2,200 
                                       Grade C  2,000 -     1,800 
                                Pink:  Grade A  1,500 -     1,300
SALMON ROE (IKURA)                                                
                 Japan  Hokkaido/Sanriku Top grade  4,800 - 4,500 
                                    Standard grade  4,500 - 4,200 
                           Alaska          Grade A  3,500 - 3,200

SEA CUCUMBER             Japan                        -          
SNOW CRAB (TANNER CRAB)
   C. bairdi, section with claws,                              
   cooked frozen, shrink-pack,        5 L         2,700 - 2,100
   5 kg-carton     Alaska             4 L         2,300 - 1,800
SABLEFISH (BLACK COD)
   Frozen, dressed         over 7 lbs/fish        1,450 - 1,400
             Alaska & Canada  5-7 lbs/fish        1,450 - 1,400
                              4-5 lbs/fish        1,400 - 1,340
                              3-4 lbs/fish        1,340 - 1,300
                              2-3 lbs/fish        1,200 - 1,170
                              1-2 lbs/fish        1,080 -   950
SALMON         
   Red: frozen   Bristol Bay  2-4 lbs/fish          700 - 680  
               (dressed,IQF,  4-6 lbs/fish          750 - 740
                grade A)      6-9 lbs/fish          720 - 700
                           
                 Kodiak       2-4 lbs/fish          700 - 680  
              (dressed,IQF,   4-6 lbs/fish          750 - 740 
               grade A)       6-9 lbs/fish          720 - 700
   Red: fresh, wild  Alaska   3-4 kg/fish               -      
   Silver: frozen  Chile      2-4 lbs/fish          600 - 560
                 (dressed)    4-6 lbs/fish          620 - 580
                              6-9 lbs/fish          600 - 560
   King: frozen, Alaska     11-18 lbs/fish              -    
   King: fresh   New Zealand  4-5 kg/fish         1,000 - 900  
   Atlantic: fresh, semi-dressed                                  
             Norway (standard grade)  3-4 kg/fish    950- 800 
SARDINE (fresh)  December 25
                   Japan          Extra large     1,000 -  600 
ABALONE (live)   December 24
                   Japan           Ezo           11,000 - 7,000
                                   Kuro           8,500 - 7,000
                                   Aka            7,500 - 7,000
                                   Mata           8,000 - 7,000
                   Australia                      6,300 - 5,800 
SURIMI (frozen)
                                          SA        520 -    
                                          FA        500         
                                          AA                    
ROCK SOLE                        with roe   L       550 - 500     
                                            M       520 - 500
                                            S           - 400     

FLOUNDER (fresh) December 25 U.S.A.               3,800 - 3,000   
                             China                5,000 - 1,500   
                             Hong Kong            5,000 - 3,000   
                             Japan                5,000 - 2,800

OYSTER (fresh) December 26  Japan, Sanriku        2,600 -   600
                            Japan, Hiroshima      1,700 -   300 
                            Japan, Okayama        2,000 - 1,100   
ROCK COD                    U.S.A.                      -       
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Source:  NMFS, Long Beach, CA
Contact: Sunee C. Sunee

Tokyo Central Wholesale Prices
Japanese Market News
Southwest Region Home Page