The Japanese government has started talks with fishers on ways to protect stocks of a popular seafood item. Catch totals of the Japanese flying squid have been dropping in recent years due to factors including changes to the marine environment.

The Fisheries Agency hosted a meeting on Wednesday with squid fishers and local government officials from across Japan.

Flying squid regularly tops the country's list of squid catch volume. But the haul has plummeted since 2016.

Agency officials presented an estimate showing that if fishers reduced their catch of young squid by one ton, their average weight would more than triple in six months. But they acknowledged it would be difficult to catch only large squid, and avoid catching the small ones that need to grow.

One fisher said the situation feels like a crisis and called for more measures to recover stocks.

Agency officials say they plan to come up with a comprehensive plan by the end of the year.