Areas near Tokyo await arrival of floating pumice mass

Hate to see stories like this very unfortunate, hopefully there is a way to clean it up sooner rather than later.

The floating pumice stones make it impossible for fishermen to operate as the material could interfere with the engines of their boats.

It is a break for the fish.... catches will be better once the volcanic stuff disappears.

I spend a lot of time in the ocean in Shikoku but I haven't seen any pumice rocks. I think by the time they get to Tokyo it'll be dispersed enough to not cause any problems.

RIP little green turtle.

Hope I can get some of this pumice for my rock collection.

It is a natural phenomenon and mankind just has to adapt to operate in or around it until it settles/move on.

Unfortunate, indeed @Roblib 5:12pm Pumice is actually filled with ‘tiny pockets of gas’, making it lightweight, buoyant and unfortunately, abrasive. So, if you’re not careful, it can even rub something or someone, the wrong way. Just try to stay clear of it and try to finds ways to stay afloat the best you can, - from one surfer to another.

*- @Roblib 5:12pm: “Hate to see stories like this very unfortunate, hopefully there is a way to clean it up sooner rather than later” -*

A few years ago there was large amounts of pomice stone heading toward Australia. All the marine biologists were excited by it, as each peice holds life. They were hoping it would make it to the great barrier reef, to help replenish some life into it. The impact would have been more benifit to the reef than harmful. More thinking about the future. I don't know if it made it there or not, though.

I think they have to forget about tourism, and fishing. Wont take long for it to break up, if they are already in small stone form.

My grandmother always kept some pumice stone in her bathroom for removing the calluses on her feet.

Every cloud has a silver lining!

ROFL

Money to be made collecting and selling this is big news?

Yeah Yeah Yeah. Tough of MEN! "The floating pumice stones make it impossible for fishermen to operate as the material could interfere with the engines of their boats."

Life not fair and you cant beat nature. Relax for real.

a mass of floating pumice

At last something new in Japan.

Yes, @zichi 8:34pm it’s unfortunate some larger species ingested pumice and died; ships should avoid it as it clogs water intakes and scrapes away paint that will add to water contamination. (Please keep us posted when/if the pumice reaches your beach in western Japan.) They still don’t know if the 2019 Tonga pumice raft benefited the Great Barrier Reef in any way.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49469446 -

There is also masses of plastic floating in our oceans. Hmmm, I think I would rather have the pumice.

Oh the horror of nature being ...

nature.

Deal with it.

Stop the hand wringing over something that is natural and common. If you scoop this up and sell it for landscaping there is a lot of profit to be made. Opportunity is knocking for some enterprising businessman out there.

Exactly Wolfpack,

This resource is gold to the right people and cold in be harvested quite easily with the simple modification of some machinery.

I worked in the mining industry for many years and know of 4 or 5 machines that could be up and running to collect this with minimal fuss...

These educated politicians and bureaucrats are showing their worthless by not seeing the golden opportunity sitting in their laps .

Japan's beaches are a disgrace, not with pumice, but with plastic and other garbage. My wife and I clean the Kamogawa beaches every day, yet no one seems to care.

The pumice is forecast to arrive around islands that are hundreds of kilometers away but still included in Tokyo’s administrative area. A non-story at the moment for Tokyo itself.

https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/visiting-tokyo-islands-guide/