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Recently, a large number of dead fish have been found off the coast of many places in Japan, and the cause is unknown. First, on December 7, in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, a large number of dead fish appeared, piling up along the coast for about 15 km of coastline with at least thousands of tons. Then on December 15, according to Japan**, a large number of dead fish were also found floating in the sea in Mie Prefecture on the southeast coast of Japan recently, causing concern among local fishermen. This is the second time in 10 days that a large number of fish have died off the coast of Japan. The main species of these dead fish are sardines, a group of migratory fish that prefer to live in warm waters, swimming inshore waters in spring and summer to feed and breed, and in autumn and winter to deep waters with warmer waters.
This rare "dead fish tide" phenomenon has attracted the attention and speculation of ** and the public, and some people wonder whether it is related to Japan's insistence on discharging Fukushima nuclear contaminated water in April this year, and whether it means that the marine ecosystem is in danger of collapse. When reporting on this phenomenon, the United Kingdom used the wording "Three months after the Fukushima nuclear sewage was discharged into the sea, thousands of tons of dead fish carcasses washed up on the shores of Japan". However, Japanese officials denied this claim, saying that such reports without scientific basis were inappropriate, and that the cause of the dead fish may be related to factors such as water temperature, lack of oxygen, predators, etc., and has nothing to do with nuclear wastewater. So, what is the cause of the "dead fish tide" phenomenon off the coast of Japan?Is Japan's official response trustworthy?Let's break it down.
First, let's take a look at the situation of the nuclear-contaminated water in Fukushima. Fukushima nuclear contaminated water is water containing radioactive materials that was mixed with seawater, groundwater, rainfall, and snow to cool the meltdown reactor after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident on March 11, 2011. The water was treated to remove most of the radionuclides except tritium, but still had some radioactivity, and was stored in a large number of water storage tanks. As of December 9, 2021, the total amount of nuclear-contaminated water in the storage tank has reached 1.37 million tons, covering an area of about 16 football fields. The capacity of the water storage tank is limited and is expected to reach its limit by the summer of 2022. Therefore, Japan** decided in April this year that it will discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean in batches starting in 2023, with an estimated total of 1.25 million tons to be discharged into the sea, which will take about 30 years. This decision has been strongly opposed and questioned at home and abroad, believing that it will cause immeasurable harm to the marine environment and human health.
Second, we need to analyze the possible causes of the dead fish. According to reports from Japan** and experts, the main species of dead fish are sardines, which will encounter various dangers during migration, such as predators, cold snaps, lack of oxygen, etc. The main predators of sardines are dolphins, whales, tuna, mackerel, etc., which will chase the fish, causing panic and confusion in the fish, and even driving the fish into shallow waters or bays, resulting in a large number of fish deaths. Another deadly enemy of sardines is cold snaps, when schools of fish swim to an area where the water temperature is too low, their mobility will be reduced, and they can even freeze to death or go shock. Sardines also need enough oxygen to stay alive, and when the fish are too dense or there are other contaminants in the water, the oxygen levels in the water can decrease, causing the fish to die of lack of oxygen. In addition to these common causes, it is also possible that other unknown factors, such as diseases, toxins, electromagnetic waves, etc., cause the death of fish schools. However, these reasons need to be scientifically tested and analyzed before a definite conclusion can be drawn.
Finally, we would like to assess the credibility of the Japanese official response. Japanese officials have denied that the dead fish are related to the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, saying that such reports without scientific basis are inappropriate. However, this official response from Japan did not provide any strong evidence and data, and only blindly shirked responsibility and denied the facts. As a matter of fact, the Japanese authorities have been concealing, deceiving, and misleading on the issue of discharging nuclear sewage into the sea, failing to fully solicit and respect domestic and foreign opinions and interests, failing to have an open and transparent information disclosure and supervision mechanism, failing to have effective security guarantees and risk assessments, and failing to act responsibly. Therefore, Japan's official response is not trustworthy and only makes people more suspicious and worried.
In summary, the phenomenon of "dead fish tide" off the coast of Japan may be caused by a variety of factors or a combination of them, but the impact and threat of nuclear sewage discharge into the sea cannot be ruled out. Japan's official response is not trustworthy and only makes people more suspicious and worried. We call on Japan** to respect science, facts and life, immediately stop the plan to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea, adopt a safer and more responsible way, properly dispose of the nuclear contaminated water in Fukushima, and protect the marine environment and human health.