Large-scale oyster deaths in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture prompt government probe
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Dead oysters have also been reported in parts of Okayama and Hyogo prefectures.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
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TOKYO – Farmed oysters in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture have been dying off in large quantities, prompting the government to investigate the cause and look for ways to support farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the prefectural government said they saw reports that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the farmed oysters harvested in Higashihiroshima and Kure in the western prefecture since the season began in October were prematurely dead.
Fisheries Minister Norikazu Suzuki visited an oyster farm in Higashihiroshima on Nov 19 to survey the damage.
He told reporters later that the government will ascertain the cause and help oyster farmers in coordination with the local authorities.
Dead oysters have also been reported in parts of neighbouring Okayama prefecture as well as in Hyogo prefecture to the east, Mr Suzuki said earlier.
All three prefectures face the Seto Inland Sea.
The Fisheries Ministry said that while the cause is not yet clear, the mass oyster die-offs could be linked to factors such as elevated seawater temperatures, higher salinity levels, or oxygen depletion. KYODO NEWS
