Thousands of tons of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Hokkaido, Japan, in recent days.
The city of Hakodate and Hokkaido Prefecture are investigating the cause of the die-off and are considering how to dispose of the thousands of tons of dead fish.
According to the city of Hakodate, an official went to the scene after receiving a report. He found tons of dead fish covering more than 1 kilometer of beach near the fishing port.
A 65-year-old local fisherman told The Japan News, “I’ve seen fish die from lack of oxygen offshore, but this is the first time I’ve seen so many fish wash up on shore.”
The Asahi Shimbun reported that local officials estimate that at least 1,000 tons of mostly sardines and some mackerel have washed up on shore, but the number could be higher.
Local officials confirmed that they will be working with fishermen to clean up the area starting on December 9. The city of Hakodate is warning residents not to eat the dead fish that have washed up on shore. They should also not be used as food for fish farming or fertilizer.
The option of incineration is being considered, but collecting the massive amount of dead fish is a challenge.
Takashi Fujioka, an expert at the Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute affiliated with the Hokkaido Research Organization, said that the fish were mostly Japanese sardines, which are 15 to 22 centimeters long, and Japanese mackerel, which are 27 to 37 centimeters long.
Fujioka told the Asahi Shimbun that the school of fish was on its way south to the main island of Honshu. The school may have died en masse due to the possibility of being chased by larger fish or being caught in a cold water area. The number of dead fish is believed to be due to lack of oxygen, but the cause of the oxygen depletion is still unclear.
