Japan to Study Sea Changes Using Fishers' Data

Tokyo, Jan. 21 (Jiji Press)--A trio of Japanese organizations plans to fully begin a project in April to analyze seawater temperatures and other data collected by young fishers to study the impact of environmental changes on marine life.

The plan was announced Monday by the Nippon Foundation, the University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, or Zengyoren.

The changes in the marine environment have led to such anomalies as record-breaking poor fish catches and changes in the periods and regions in which fish can be caught.

"We will analyze data collected from fishers, aiming to produce results that will contribute to better understanding what's happening under the sea and coming up with future measures," said Susumu Hyodo, director of the research institute.

According to Zengyoren, Japanese catches of major fish species such as salmon and saury have been slumping since around 2010.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]