Before the arrival of the drift ice, the fishing boats that had finished catching scallops were pulled ashore at the fishing port in Monbetsu, Hokkaido.
Every year at Monbetsu Fishing Port, the boats that have finished fishing are pulled ashore at this time of year so that the hulls of the boats are not damaged by drift ice that rushes in during the winter.
On the 27th, about 50 people, including crew members and shipyard workers, gathered to lift six of the scallop fishing boats that had finished fishing this year.
In the work, a fishing boat weighing about 14 tons is fixed on a dedicated stand submerged in the sea, and it is slowly pulled up using a wire.
After being lifted safely, the crew covered the control room with a sheet to prevent snow from entering, and then moved it on the rails to the storage location.
Hideto Nakamura of the Monbetsu Fisheries Cooperative said, "I'm glad we were able to finish the fishing without any major accidents. I want to do my best next year as well."
At Monbetsu Fishing Port, the sea surface begins to freeze in mid-January at the beginning of the year, and drift ice arrives in February.