Fish Carcasses Cover Hokkaido Coast in Japan... China Claims "Due to Contaminated Water"

Accurate Cause Investigation Underway... Also Struggling with Corpse Disposal

Recently, a large number of fish that died en masse off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, have been claimed by Chinese netizens to be related to Japan's contaminated water (referred to by the Japanese government as "treated water").

"I've never seen such a sight before," testimony from an octogenarian resident... Experts say, "They may have become exhausted due to lack of oxygen and washed ashore"

On the 7th, schools of sardines and mackerel were washed ashore on a beach in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Authorities reported that thousands of tons of dead sardines were washed ashore on a beach in northern Japan for unknown reasons.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media including the AP News on the 8th (local time), schools of sardines and mackerel that died en masse washed ashore on the coast of Hakodate City in southern Hokkaido the previous morning.

Videos show sardine carcasses densely packed along the shore being pushed onto the white sandy beach by the waves. It looked like a "wave of fish."

Local residents also reacted that they had never seen so many sardine carcasses gathered at once.

A researcher at the Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute said, "We do not know why the dead fish schools were pushed ashore," and speculated, "The fish may have been chased by predators during their migration, became exhausted due to lack of oxygen, and were pushed to the shore."

He added, "I have heard of similar phenomena before, but this is the first time I have seen it in person," and "Since the exact cause is unknown, I do not recommend eating them."

Hakodate City also announced on its website, advising residents "not to eat the fish."

Since the 9th, the city authorities have been mobilizing local fishermen to clean up the carcasses filling the coastline.

A city official explained, "The dead fish are covered with sand, making it difficult to supply them as feed to fish farms," and added, "We are currently considering collecting and incinerating the dead fish, but the volume is so large that it seems difficult."

Authorities estimate that the weight of the dead fish that died this time could reach several hundred tons.

Chinese netizens point to "contaminated water discharge" as the cause

The densely packed sardine carcasses along the coast are carried by the waves onto the white sand beach, creating a scene that looks like a 'wave of fish.' [Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

Regarding this, Chinese local media reported, "Chinese netizens who heard the news of the sardine mass death are raising questions such as whether Japan's contaminated water discharge is related to the sardine mass death."

The related article ranked second among popular news on the Chinese portal site Baidu, and not only major local media but also regional press eagerly reported the incident.

Although Chinese local media emphasized that the cause of the incident is "unknown," Chinese netizens appear to be pointing to the contaminated water discharge as the cause.

Earlier, on August 24, when Japan began discharging contaminated water into the ocean, China immediately suspended all imports of Japanese seafood, and the two countries have been in conflict over the contaminated water issue. Even during the three rounds of contaminated water discharge, China's import ban has not been lifted.