Since September, a large number of autumn salmon and sea urchins have been killed on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido.



In September, it was confirmed that about 4000 autumn salmon landed at the Otsu fishing port in Toyokoro Town were dead.

Also, by September 28, a large number of farmed sea urchins were found dead on the Pacific coast from Kushiro to Hidaka.

It also affects restaurants ...

The impact is widespread.



According to a restaurant in Hakodate City, we did not purchase sea urchins from Eastern Hokkaido, which are damaged by the fishing industry, but the demand for sea urchins from the four northern islands, which we mainly use at this time, is due to the damage in Eastern Hokkaido. It seems that the purchase price has increased by about 20%.

For this reason, we have no choice but to consider raising the price of menus such as sea urchin bowl.

Tomoko Murakami, a young proprietress of "Hakodate Uni Murakami," said, "At the current price, the more you put out, the bigger the negative range. I was talking.

Hometown tax payment suspension

In addition, this is happening.



According to fishermen, many small sea urchins that were scheduled to be landed in the Kushiro region died after next year, and the damage is estimated to be several tens of tons, which is 80% to 90% of the planned landing. Has been done.



For this reason, Kushiro Town has suspended the acceptance of donations for hometown tax payments in return for the special sea urchin.



Shigeru Komatsu, the mayor of Kushiro Town, said, "Since sea urchins are a popular gift, we would like to meet the expectations of everyone who donated them, but the outlook is uncertain now. I want to ask for it. "

“The largest ever” red tide damage

Red tide is believed to be the cause of the mass deaths of autumn salmon and sea urchins.



According to the road, red tide was confirmed at Katsurakoi fishing port in Kushiro city in mid-September.



After that, it was confirmed that it occurred in a wide area on the Pacific side from Nemuro City to the offshore of Samani Town in Hidaka.



In addition, sea urchins were found dead in fishing grounds in Urakawa Town and Shinhidaka Town earlier this month, and the damaged sea area is spreading to the west.



According to the Fisheries Agency, the damage confirmed by October 8 was more than 1,400 tons of sea urchins and 17,000 autumn salmon, and the damage amounted to more than 4.5 billion yen.

The damage to sea urchins was also serious, with about 90% of the released sea urchins in Kushiro City and Kushiro Town, 80% in Akkeshi Town, and 50% in Hamanaka Town.

Sea urchin fishing in Hokkaido is expected to affect the landing from next year onward because small sea urchins are released into the sea and landed three to four years after they are grown.



In addition, 400 farmed rockfish were dead in Toyokoro Town, Tokachi, and damage of 200 kg of whelk was confirmed in Kushiro City.



According to the road, it is the largest red tide damage in Hokkaido ever.

Coastal municipality urgently requests the governor

On October 7, the heads of 16 coastal municipalities handed a request to Governor Suzuki in response to the fishing damage that caused a large number of autumn salmon and sea urchins to die on the Pacific coast of Eastern Hokkaido.



In this, he said, "The management efforts of individual fishermen and the support of related cities and towns will jeopardize the survival of local fisheries."

Mayor Shiranuka "Comparable to a'catastrophic disaster'"

Takao Tanano, the mayor of Shiranuka Town, said, "For fishermen, this happened at the time of the most oysters, including autumn salmon. In recent years, a red tide has occurred amid various concerns such as rising seawater temperature. We have suffered a great deal of damage both mentally and economically. We think that it is comparable to a "catastrophic disaster." I want to go there. "

What is the plankton that caused the red tide?

A survey by the Prefectural Research Organization has revealed the type of plankton that caused the red tide off the coast of Eastern Hokkaido.



Of these, "Karenia Mikimotoi" is a plankton that has caused damage to the fishing industry mainly in western Japan.

It is believed that the rise in seawater temperature due to climate change moved northward to the eastern coast of Hokkaido, leading to red tides.



We also found a type called "Karenia brevis".



It is believed to be the cause of the red tide that occurred along the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia from September to October 2020.

This is the first time that a red tide has occurred in Japan.

This time, more "Karenia brevis" was detected than "Karenia brevis" in the sea off the east coast of Hokkaido where red tide damage occurred.



Several researchers have pointed out that "Karenia brevis" may have moved south from the cold sea in the north, and that this red tide may be due to not only global warming.

Expert "I'm really surprised"

Professor Emeritus Imai of Hokkaido University, who is familiar with plankton, says, "I am seeing red tides all over Japan, but I am really surprised that such red tides occur in Hokkaido."



In addition, the plankton "Karenia brevis", which is thought to be the cause of red tide, has been confirmed in various parts of the world such as New Zealand and Tunisia, but I myself did not recognize it as a plankton that causes red tide in Japan. It's scary that it's going to be a red tide if it's in place. "



Regarding the future outlook, he said, "I think that the red tide will disappear if the seawater temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius and the winter monsoon blows," but the resistance of Karenia brevis to low water temperatures is well understood. Since there is no such thing, he points out that "it is an urgent issue to investigate whether wintering can occur around Hokkaido."

Governor Suzuki requests support from the country

Governor Suzuki of Hokkaido visited the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on the afternoon of the 12th and handed a request to Minister Kaneko.



In this, we are requesting cooperation for early investigation of the cause, enhancement and strengthening of support measures for fishermen, and financial support for local governments to respond to them.



In response, Minister Kaneko said, "Because of the serious damage situation, I would like to dispatch a deputy minister promptly to investigate the cause," and expressed his intention to hurry to investigate the cause in cooperation with Hokkaido.

Governor Suzuki "I want to face it with all my strength"

After the request, Governor Suzuki told reporters, "There is a word that I want to do what I can, and I am reassured. I would like to work closely with the Fisheries Agency and do my best." ..