Every year, as July draws to a close, Norio Terada and his fellow oyster farmers submerge hundreds of scallop shells strung on wire rings into the watersThe tiny black larvae that attach to the shells will be harvested from the salty lagoonincreasingly hostile marine environment“Oyster farming has a history of more than 100 years. But this is the first time I’ve observed this much death,” said Terada, 64. A particularly devastating season three years ago yielded only one-tenth his usual intake.
As fish make for cooler climates, some species such as the Pacific saury and flying squid are moving farther into open waters and out of the reach of Japanese fishermen, particularly as fuel prices rise. Others traditionally caught off Japan’s southern shores, like yellowtail or Spanish mackerel, are reappearing in northern waters, according to industry groups. Oftentimes, those fish have to be shipped back south to the regions more familiar with preparing them for consumption.