Massive Volume of Sardines Wash Up In Japan Port

A substantial number of Japanese scaled sardines washed up at a fishing port in Shima City on the morning of Dec. 13, sending local fishermen scrambling into the sea to collect the small fish, according to Yuki Kozawa's report for Mainichi Shimbun.

The total amount of the fish, called sappa in Japanese, at Nakiri fishing port in Shima, Mie Prefecture, is estimated to be between 30 metric tons and 40 metric tons.

The total amount of the fish, called sappa in Japanese, at Nakiri fishing port in Shima, Mie Prefecture, is estimated to be between 30 metric tons and 40 metric tons.

Since their carcasses may lower the oxygen concentration in nearby waters as they decompose, affecting other sea life, local fishermen aboard two boats began netting them that morning.

According to a local fisherman, large schools of sappa were spotted inside the port on the evening of Dec. 11. Locals managed to haul in about 3 tons of them that day.

Dead fish began to surface the following day, prompting them to report the incident to the Shima Municipal Government. The volume of dead fish continued to grow, and they were washing ashore by the morning of Dec. 13.

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