1Planning Division, Fisheries Infrastructure Department, Fisheries Agency, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-8907, 2Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, 3Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, 4The Japanese Institute of Technology on Fishing Ports, Grounds and Communities, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0047 Japan
To control the hygienic conditions of fishery products from catching to landing and processing, both qualitative and quantitative bacterial observations at fishing ports must be considered. Four fishing ports, Shibetsu and Rausu in Hokkaido, Yui in Shizuoka prefecture, and Hakata in Fukuoka prefecture, were selected and the distribution of coliform bacteria and human pathogenic vibrio species were studied at these sites. Coliforms and Escherichia coli were observed from all four fishing ports, while Vibrio parahaemolyticus was observed from Yui and Hakata fishing ports. The number of V. parahaemolyticus in the surface seawater varied seasonally from <1.8 to 240 MPN/100 mL. E. coli and human pathogenic vibrio species were not observed from electrolyzed, chlorine disinfected or deep seawater used at these four fishing ports for hygiene control. The disinfected seawater or deep seawater for hygiene control was effective for washing off the bacteria from floors and equipment at the fishing markets.