Fishermen & Experts In Kagoshima Warns : “Man-eating sharks are all over Japan!”

When I was fishing for Spanish mackerel around 1 a.m., I suddenly heard a huge splash of water. I looked over to see what was going on, and suddenly his face appeared. It was really scary. 

In late May of last year, a small port town in Yamaguchi Prefecture was hit with frightening news. A 3.5-meter-long great white shark was caught in a net set by Tadayoshi Nakamura, a member of the Ukashima Fishing Cooperative in Suo Oshima.

My 80-year-old father, who has been a local fisherman for many years, was surprised that he had never seen one before.

Since the beginning of Reiwa 2021, the number of shark attacks has been increasing rapidly throughout Japan. In 2021, a surfer was attacked by a shark believed to be a white shark in Ibaraki Prefecture and received 21 stitches. A similar accident also occurred in Aichi Prefecture. There have been many sightings of man-eating sharks in various areas of Japan.

The fishing industry has also been severely affected. In Kagoshima Prefecture, damage to fisheries caused by tiger sharks has increased. Although tiger sharks have always inhabited the area, in recent years the number of large sharks has been increasing.

“A large fish of 4 meters in length and weighing more than 300 kg was once caught. Sharks eat through nets and aquaculture nets, so the fishery is not viable. It is a matter of life and death for fishermen”, said a fisherman belonging to the Amami Fisheries Cooperative Association.

The fishing port of Naze, also on Amami Oshima Island, has also suffered serious damage.

“I have the impression that the damage is increasing with each passing year,” said a fisherman belonging to the Amami Fishing Cooperative Association. About 10% of the catch is now unsalable because sharks bite the fish when they are landed. The amount of damage is probably no less than 1 million yen per vessel per year. I think our fishing cooperative alone has suffered about 10 million yen in damage,” said a member of the Nase Fishing Cooperative.

What is behind the continuing damage? Associate Professor Taku Horie of Tokai University’s Department of Oceanography, who is an expert on shark ecology, points to global warming as one factor. He says that the temperature of the seas around Japan has risen 1.19°C over the past 100 years, more than twice the global average.

“We cannot overlook the possibility that global warming has made the waters around Japan more comfortable for sharks. The impact of humans is also significant. While overfishing has reduced the number of fish that serve as bait in the waters of neighboring countries, Japan is protecting the green turtles that serve as bait on Yakushima Island. I believe that these factors are also influencing the situation. Shark populations are actually declining for many species. For example, white sharks became subject to international trade restrictions under the Washington Convention last year. Nonetheless, the high encounter rate in the waters around Japan is evidence that they are flocking to Japan.”

Last year, tourists in Australia and the Bahamas were attacked and killed by sharks. If the number of “man-eating sharks” increases, there is a strong possibility that such fatal accidents will occur in Japan in the future. Mr. Horie continues, “The biggest problem is the lack of effective countermeasures.”

The biggest problem is that there is no effective countermeasure. In areas where damage is high, extermination is carried out during the summer, but as long as Japan is the habitat, it will only be effective for a few months at most. Electric shockers have been introduced, but they are costly and unsustainable. Many species of sharks, such as tiger sharks, are active at night, so the only measure that can be taken is to stay out of the water from dawn to dusk.

There are  grievances coming from the field.

The damage has increased too much for the private sector to cope with. I hope the government will seriously address this problem and take measures such as increasing subsidies.

Urgent action is required before a tragic incident occurs.

From the February 17, 2023 issue of FRIDAY