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Japan-Update

East Asia's baby eel catch plunges to record low

Prices soar as farms unable to replenish stocks

Baby eels are known as glass eels due to their almost transparent appearance.

TOKYO -- Grilled eel is a staple of Japanese cuisine, but it might soon become something of a rarity -- this season's catch of juvenile eels is at a record low, and prices have more than trebled.

Fishermen in major eel fishing countries like Japan and China have caught less than a ton of baby eels so far this season, a fraction the historical low set in the 2013 fishing season.

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