The shores of Japan’s Hakodate area on Hokkaido’s main island witnessed an unsettling spectacle as thousands of deceased fish, including sardines and mackerel, washed ashore on Thursday. The lifeless fish formed a silver-hued carpet stretching over a kilometre along the beach, leaving local residents bewildered and authorities scrambling for answers.
Residents, despite official warnings, gathered the fish, possibly for consumption or sale, as the cause behind the mass stranding remained unconfirmed. Takashi Fujioka, a researcher at Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute, expressed surprise, noting that while he had heard of similar incidents, witnessing it firsthand was a first for him.
Fujioka suggested possible explanations, such as the fish being pursued by larger predators, experiencing exhaustion in densely packed schools, and subsequently being swept ashore by waves. Another theory involved the fish encountering sudden drops in water temperature during migration.
Highlighting potential environmental repercussions, Fujioka cautioned that the decomposing fish could deplete oxygen levels in the water, affecting marine life. Nobuyaki Tanaka, chief researcher at Abashiri Fisheries Research Institute, speculated, “It can be assumed that the fish died from exposure to water temperatures below their optimum temperature for survival due to the drop in water temperature.”
City officials, responding swiftly, inspected the site the following day, attempting to manage the aftermath and collect the fish. Despite official advisories against consumption, some residents persisted in gathering the fish, raising concerns about potential health risks.
Source: AP