gigantic jellyfish that is shocking the livelihoods of fishermen in the Japan
Sea. Nomura's jellyfish is the biggest creature of its kind off Japan and, for
reasons that remain mysterious, its numbers have surged in the past few
months. The size of poisonous jellyfish could be 6 foot wide, and a weight
could be up to 450 pound.
One-off spikes in population of Nomura's jellyfish
have occurred in the past, notably in 1958, but
consecutive outbreaks in 2002 and 2003 prompted
Japan government to seek reasons and solutions.
and ultimately poisoning the captured fish with their stinging tentacles.
Some fishermen report an 80-percent decline in income.
The Nomura jellyfish is normally found faraway from the shoreline of Japan
These days they seem to be moving closer to the shore. Studies are
currently underway to figure out why the jellyfish have migrated from the
Chinese and Korean waters and what can be done about the issue. One
theory is that global warming is heating up the seawater and encouraging
jellyfish breeding.
Others have suggested over-fishing has allowed the growth of the
population of plankton on which the jellyfish feed.
Despite their size, Nomura's jellyfish aren't toxic enough to cause serious
harm to humans.
However, the jellyfish's sting has been reported as fatal in some cases by
causing a build-up of fluid in the lungs. So, fishermen often wear goggles
and protective clothing to avoid stings when dealing with them.
Jellyfish are an unusual ingredient of Japanese cuisine but are much
more prized in China.
Coastal communities are doing their best to promote jellyfish as a novelty
food, sold dried and salted. Students in Obama (Japan) have turned them
into tofu, and jellyfish collagen is promoted as being beneficial to skin.
