Latest news with #Ishi
Asahi Shimbun
02-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Hurting fishing communities try to lure tourists for extra income
Passengers aboard a boat off Inatori Port in Higashi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, look at the coast on May 5. (Sho Hatsumi) Suffering from steadily shrinking hauls, fishing communities around Japan are targeting something that is much more in abundance: tourists. Some are offering 'fishing boat cruises' during nonfishing hours. Others are promoting land-based attractions to gain extra income. The government is backing such moves under the catchword of 'umigyo' (sea industries), a generic term for projects that use marine resources. Japan's total fishery haul, including from aquaculture, fell below 4 million tons in 2022, less than one-third of the peak levels of the 1980s. The average income for privately operated fishing boats has hovered between 2 million yen and 3 million yen ($14,000 and $21,000), and the demographic of fishermen is shrinking and aging. Inatori Port in Higashi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, known for catches of 'kinmedai' (splendid alfonsino), is one of the many areas around Japan with dwindling catches. Kinmedai are usually caught in the early morning hours. But on one afternoon in early May, the Inari Maru fishing boat with a gross tonnage of 12 tons left Inatori Port. Ten minutes after departure, the voice of a guide called out to the 10 tourists aboard through a speaker. 'Look toward the coast, please,' the voice said. 'The pair of big rocks you will see are 'Hasami Ishi' (holding rocks).' The passengers trained their cameras on the oddly shaped rocks that appeared to be holding a smaller rock. 'I am taking a ride on a fishing boat for the first time,' said Masami Komon, a 61-year-old passenger from Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. 'A ride on a sightseeing boat is nowhere near this compelling.' The passengers were also treated to 'sanga yaki,' a local fish dish, during the approximately 40-minute cruise. The Inari Maru crew's main job is pole-and-line fishing for deep-sea kinmedai. The total catch of the species across Shizuoka Prefecture dropped from around 3,000 tons in the 2000s to only 1,157 tons in 2024, according to the Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Fishery and Ocean. 'We would catch 300 kilograms in a day 20 years ago,' said Naohisa Uchiyama, captain of the Inari Maru. 'Nowadays, however, we catch only 20 or 30 kg a day, and our earnings are dropping from year to year.' The Inari Maru would remain idly moored at the port during the day after fishing ended at around 8 a.m. Uchiyama, 59, decided on the additional use of the boat. The Inari Maru has so far given rides to more than 1,000 tourists. Earnings from the cruises now match about one-third of the revenue gained from fishing. The captain is still adjusting to the new venture. 'Deciding whether we should be setting out to sea on a cruise is more difficult than when we are setting out to fish,' Uchiyama said. POPULAR MARKET At Tajiri Fishing Port in Tajiri, Osaka Prefecture, just across from Kansai Airport, a morning market held every Sunday consistently draws many visitors. The stalls selling seafood fresh from Osaka Bay are manned by fishermen themselves, one of the charms of the market. Customers routinely line up for deep-fried servings of tempura and other products. 'Some customers say they are surprised to learn there are so many fish in Osaka Bay,' one fisherman at a market stall said. 'I feel happy when my customers tell me that my fish tasted good.' Catches at Tajiri dropped when the fishing ground was reduced through land reclamation work for Kansai Airport, which opened in 1994. The morning market started that same year in hoped of improving the fishermen's incomes. 'I never expected the market would be visited by so many people,' said Eiichi Nishiura, the 75-year-old head of the Tajiri fisheries cooperative association. SAUNA WITH A VIEW A Finnish-style sauna complex opened in May in the Kaigan-dori (seaside) district of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, which boasts one of Japan's largest hauls of Pacific saury and silver salmon. Sauna users relaxing under a sea breeze can watch ships come and go. The complex also has a barbecue ground outside the sauna building, and guests can buy food at a supermarket and fish shops nearby. The sauna complex stands on a seaside square that was the seat of Onagawa's most flourishing commercial facility until the area was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Onagawa Future Creation, a community development company, built the sauna complex in hopes of restoring liveliness in the district. 'Being a disaster-stricken area that has since been rebuilt is not enough to attract people,' said Yoshihide Abe, the 56-year-old president of the company. 'I hope people will come here and use the sauna.' GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE The government's Basic Plan for Fisheries in 2022 included umigyo promotion. The goal is to increase the size of the 'exchange population' between cities and fishing villages by 2 million over five years from the current 20 million. Yasuhiro Sanada, head director of the Ocean Governance Institute, expressed a cautious stance toward the government initiative. 'The overall direction for increasing non-fishery earnings has been rightly set,' Sanada said. 'But there is a need to keep watch so the government policy will not be used as a pretext for maintaining budgets and organizations for fishing port development.' 'UMIGYO' PROJECTS UNDER WAY OR BEING PLANNED * Tours to an inland plant for sea urchin aquaculture and hands-on experiences in sea urchin processing (Kamoenai Fishing Port in Kamoenai, Hokkaido) * A glamping complex that draws on the availability of seafood and scenery (Himi Fishing Port in Himi, Toyama Prefecture) * Hands-on experiences in beach seine fishery for students on school excursions (Tomiura Fishing Port in Minami-Boso, Chiba Prefecture) * Tours to a market, mock bidding experiences, and a salon for talking to fishermen (Ohama Fishing Port in Toba, Mie Prefecture) * Hands-on experiences in maintaining forests with fishermen (Miura Bay fishing port in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture) (This article was written by Sho Hatsumi, Takuya Nishie and Hiroyuki Yaginuma.)
Scoop
27-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
To Time Travel, One Must First End Time
On a beautiful summer morning, two young women with a local environmental group had set up a table at the entrance to Lower Park. They were educating and gaining community support for a salmon ladder their group is building in the canyon beyond town, a large semi-wilderness area called Upper Park. After 30 years in this city, I learned a few new things. During native times, and before the area was overtaken by 'civilization,' five species of salmon made their way upstream to spawn during the rainy winter months. They were so numerous during spawning season that it's said you could practically walk on top of them from one side to the other. In recent decades, there are no more than 100 salmon of a single species that make a successful journey to spawn each winter. The local environmental group is working to remove man-made impediments and increase their numbers. I also learned the name native people gave of the creek that has played such a big part in my time here, a stream that becomes a small, raging river during the wettest months of winter. It was called Otakimsewi. Indigenous California had some 300 distinct tribes or sub-tribes, a few of which held out until the 20th century. I happen live in the area where what used to be called 'the last wild Indian in America,' Ishi, walked into the nearby town of Oroville in 1911, after the last of his tribe had been murdered or died of disease. When I first moved to California as a young man, I took a hiking trip into a remote area north of here in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with the destination of Kingsley Cave, where settlers had slaughtered at least 30 Yahi people. The cave, which is more like an overhang of rock, is named after Norm Kingsley, a participant who expressed the need to switch to a smaller caliber pistol for killing the babies because of the destructive force of his larger rifle. (Pause and reflect for a moment on that mentality. Is it any different than many in the IDF in Gaza, where 15,000 children have been slaughtered?) I recall someone in the group finding an arrowhead and shell casing. Needless to say, the physically and emotionally grueling hiking trip left a strong impression on me as a young man. Talking about the salmon and indigenous times with the young women brought back an experience of what seemed then, and still seems today like a timeless moment of salubrious time travel. It was dusk after a heavy rain during winter. The rains had made the stream into a slender river of white-capped waves. I sat on plastic and pads, layered against the chill and wet, and looked across to a flat area dotted with leafless oaks, barely discernible through the failing light and a light fog. That deep sense of mystery at dusk, tinged with primal fear in a man-made place made wild again by a series of storms, was intense. I remained still and passively aware, and the mind fell completely silent. From deep curiosity, a question arose, without expecting any answer: How did native people live through the rain and the wet and the wind of winter here? Suddenly a huge salmon, slicing upstream against the powerful current, shot by, its upper half exposed without leaping out of the roiling water. At that moment, there was a rip in time, and I found myself staring into the camp of people that lived on this land before the Europeans came. To this day, 20 years later, I feel it was not an illusion or imagination, but a gift. Contrary to all my conditioned, white man ideas of how Native Americans lived, what I saw was a place of considerable physical comfort and great social warmth. The people were well fed, and their shelters, fires and animal hides protected them from the inclement weather. There was little detail, just an overall scene of prosperity and tranquility that produced a deep ache in the meditative state. It was the ache of a rapacious, hollow culture contrasted with an imperfectly harmonious culture. Without fear or loneliness, I recall feeling incredibly alone. In the meditative state, in which time had ended, did my question, immediately followed by one of only 100 spawning salmon that year, actually create a rip in time? I feel so. And if so, the paradox is that we can momentarily step back in time, but only if we completely end time in the present. We almost always look at the present from the past, but it's become imperative to look at the past from the present. Indeed, only when we're mentally completely still and therefore fully present in the present, can we see the personal and collective past clearly and accurately. As far as the future, it's partially written. To see what part is inevitable, and what space remains open is difficult, but essential, because the piece that isn't written is ours to write. Global collapse is occurring in our time, but humanity is not doomed. The individual is a microcosm of the whole of humanity, and the whole of humanity is a macrocosm of the individual.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Gray wolf population grows in California with three new packs confirmed
Source: Wikipedia California is witnessing a significant comeback of gray wolves, with confirmation of three new gray wolf packs. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the presence of the new packs. This development raises the total number of known packs in the state to 10. The newly recognized packs are the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County, the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County, and the Ashpan pack in eastern Shasta County. This comeback highlights the success of conservation efforts and the gray wolf's remarkable adaptability to California's varied wilderness. The presence of these new packs marks a hopeful chapter in the recovery of this once nearly vanished species. The growing population of wolves in California By the end of 2024, at least 75 wolf packs had been documented in California, Oregon, and Washington. With the recent confirmation from the sources of World Animal News, three new packs in California, that total has now risen to 78, a powerful testament to nature's resilience and the success of conservation efforts. The growth is part of a bigger comeback for wolves across the western US After being wiped out in California in the 1920s, gray wolves started returning in 2011 by crossing the border from Oregon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Since then, they've slowly moved back into areas where they used to live. The first wolf pack seen in California in modern times was confirmed in 2015. Regal Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center, told WAN, 'California's wolves continue to show us that with state and federal protections, and proactive coexistence measures, healthy population growth is possible. Cheers to the many wolf families who continue to remind us that the Golden State truly has limitless possibilities for all". From eradication to the return of the wolves Their steady reestablishment since then underscores the ability of species to recover when given the chance, supported by legal protections, science-based wildlife management, and public support. Despite the information of their return, the path forward for wolves remains delicate. False information and fear about wolves still make it harder for them to recover, especially in rural areas. Research shows that simple, non-violent methods, like using guard dogs, fences, or special lights, can prevent more than 90% of conflicts between wolves and farm animals. Conservation groups and wildlife agencies emphasize coexistence and long-term ecological benefits by engaging with the local communities. Also read: White Sharks now found in this new US location
Los Angeles Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Three more wolf packs confirmed in California as ranchers call for relief
It was bright and early and Axel Hunnicutt was howling. He was looking for wolves. Sometimes they howl back, providing a sense of their location. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife this week reported there were three new wolf packs in the state's far north. Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the agency, was trying to track down one of them — the freshly minted Ashpan pack that consists of at least two wolves roaming eastern Shasta County. There's also the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County and the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County. Some experts say there could now be more than 70 wolves living in California. 'I don't want to boast, but I think my howl is pretty good,' Hunnicutt said by phone while heading to the town of Burney, north of Lassen Volcanic National Park. He was taking a break from a day of searching that began at 5 a.m. in an effort to add to the limited information state wildlife officials know about the packs. The goal is to capture and outfit one of the wolves with a GPS collar. That would allow them to share information about the animal's whereabouts with owners of livestock that could become a meal for the apex predators. And it would make it easier to track them down again and collar more wolves if necessary. The trio of new packs brings the state total to 10, marking a continued resurgence for the canids protected under state and federal endangered species laws. There were seven packs by the end of last year and just one at this time five years ago. All of the latest packs were confirmed by what Hunnicutt described as 'persistence' — documenting at least two wolves together at least four times in an area over six months. At least three wolves comprise the Ishi pack; it's not clear if one is the offspring of the other two. It's welcome news for conservationists, who want to see the state's native animals thrive. Many ranchers, however, see the rise of wolves as a threat to their livelihood. California's wolves were killed off by humans about a century ago, and they only began to recolonize the state about 14 years ago. In recent years, the population has started to take off. There were about 50 by the end of last year, wildlife officials said. The population fluctuates throughout the year as pups are born and die off, and it's likely higher at the moment. As the number of wolves increases, so does the number of cattle they attack. Between January and March of this year, 26 instances of livestock depredation were being investigated with wolves confirmed as the culprit in 16 of them, according to state data. Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs for the California Cattlemen's Assn., a trade association representing ranchers and beef producers, said wolves in at least two of the new packs are known to have preyed on livestock. 'There's been a real emotional impact, a real fear impact, in the north state,' Wilbur said. 'Folks who perhaps have never had a wolf depredation on their herd are nevertheless fearful of the possibility, and the folks who have suffered repeat depredations from wolves, this gets really stressful and taxing and depressing for those producers.' This month, Shasta County joined four other Northern California counties in declaring states of emergency due to wolves. The county's Board of Supervisors also penned a letter to the state wildlife department calling for 'immediate assistance and regulatory changes to better equip counties to address this growing concern,' according to a news release. The state has taken steps to address ranchers' concerns. About two weeks ago, the state wildlife department announced the release of an online map that shows the approximate location of GPS-collard wolves. Anyone can check it out, but it's geared toward cluing in ranchers in an effort to prevent wolf-livestock conflict. California wildlife officials plan to complete a status review of the wolf population and are exploring the possibility of allowing harsher methods to haze the animals, including firing nonlethal ammunition at them. The state agency also offers reimbursement to ranchers for livestock killed by wolves. At one point, the state also provided money to cover nonlethal tools and indirect losses, but Hunnicutt said the program no longer has enough funding to do so. Wilbur said the new packs underscore a long-held belief by his group that gray wolves don't need to be on California's endangered species list, where they were added in 2014. Some ranchers want to be able to shoot the broad-muzzled canids, something their protected status precludes. Hunnicutt said it's not so cut and dried. 'With wolves, if allowed the protections that they have, they do really well, and they recover quickly,' he said. 'On the flip side, it would not take very much to completely topple these 10 packs.' He pointed out that the hundreds of thousands — and potentially millions — of wolves were eradicated from the Western U.S. within decades. Roughly 50 animals is generally not considered a 'viable population,' according to Hunnicutt. If the population reaches about 150, he said protections could probably be relaxed. Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group, sees the wolves' growth rate as typical. She said the state's 2016 wolf conservation plan identified about 23,000 square miles of suitable wolf habitat just in the region north of Interstate 80. The same plan estimated that that area could support roughly 370 to 500 wolves. Weiss said misunderstanding and misinformation is fueling backlash against the animals. 'Decades of research shows that conflicts between livestock, wolves and people are rare and preventable,' she said in a statement. 'These magnificent animals have immense value because they help keep nature wild and healthy, and that ultimately benefits humans as well.' Back in Shasta County, Hunnicutt was hot on the trail of the Ashpan pack. He picked up tracks, which led him to a fresh poop. He scooped it up. 'It's like, ah! I'm gonna figure out who it is,' he said. He believes the two wolves in the pack might be denning; it's currently the season. That means they bred and the female gave birth in a den, which could be a hollowed-out log or other safe haven. When wolves are denning, they're anchored to one spot — the den — upping the chances of finding them. It essentially entails trying to locate one square mile of activity in a 1,000-square-mile search area, Hunnicutt said. 'It's hard, but I love it,' he said. After lunch in Burney, he'd go back to scouting.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California officials confirm three new wolf packs in Northern California
( — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it confirmed three new packs of gray wolves in Northern California in the first quarter of 2025. The Ashpan pack is located in eastern Shasta County and is made up of at least two wolves, the CDFW said. In eastern Tehama County, the Ishi pack has at least three members. The Tunnison pack in central Lassen County is made up of at least two wolves. CDFW said one of the Tunnison pack wolves, LAS32F, has a collar but it no longer functions. The agency said it investigated 33 reported livestock attacks in March, April, and the beginning of May. CDFW confirmed 18 were committed by wolves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
