The Sea Rhythm Warms--Fisheries Journey in the Twenty-First Century (Spring 2007)

The Sea Rhythm Warms--Fisheries Journey in the Twenty-First Century (Spring 2007)

In 2007, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced a rise in sea water temperatures in the seas around Japan, and the shadow of global warming began to extend to the fish and seaweed that line our dinner tables. In Wakayama, tropical sesame mackerel has replaced the traditional masaba (mackerel) as the mainstay of the catch, and the lamentations of fishermen echo with the roar of the sea. In the Tsugaru Straits, kelp, which prefers the cold currents, has failed to grow, and as "iso-yaki" (rock scorch) has set in, seaweed from the warm currents has flourished in its place, and the once bountiful sea is disappearing. Even in the Seto Inland Sea, red tides occur during the winter months, devastating the cultivation of nori seaweed. A slight change in sea temperature is all it takes for fish to leave and fishing grounds to change shape. This is not just a natural change. It is the beginning of an era in which the heat generated by people is quietly shaking the sea, changing the w
ay people make their living, and rewriting the climate.