Thousands of tons of dead sardines, mackerel wash ashore in northern Japan

It won't be long until someone here brings up Fukushima. Then we'll all feel like the fish and just give up.

This is going to smell so bad when the fish start to rot

This is indeed an eerie sight. Is this a result of climate change or something caused by submarine sonars?

“It won't be long until someone here brings up Fukushima. Then we'll all feel like the fish and just give up.” Might that someone be…you?!

Saw this on the box with me missus yesterday. Really queer when you see how many were being washed ashore. Is it worrying? Well, yes it is. I’ve never heard of this amount of fish doing this before.

The town, in a notice posted on its website, urged residents not to consume the fish.

So, what agency is going to test the fish for contamination?

Is it better not to know and just carry on?

No Need to bring it up,

Everyone is thinking that already

Were you hoping nobody would bring it up? When people say, "no need to bring it up" they mean "dang it. I was hoping you wouldn't bring it up."

Free lunch!

So, what agency is going to test the fish for contamination?

Japan won't let China test the fish, and China won't trust the results if only Japan tests the fish. Nothing will come of this. Too much corruption on both sides. We most likely will never know the true cause of this event.

Some gathered the fish to sell or eat.

Gees! You'd have to be very dumb or very desperate to eat these fish not knowing what caused the mass kill.

There is a virus the effects sardines and causes these mass fish kills.

It won't be long until someone here brings up Fukushima.

Well on this you were right! You brought it up with the very first reply. Didn't take long at all!

I feel sorry for the people who have to live in the area and deal with the smell. Mother nature will eventually do her job, and all the shrimp and other bottom feeders are going to have a feast!

such a waste.

This is indeed an eerie sight. Is this a result of climate change or something caused by submarine sonars

If you take the time to read the articles a plausible explanation was given, and not some goofy conspiracy theory!

This happens every now and again around the world. There are a range of natural reasons why it occurs. It's not a sinister event, although some embrace it to support their conspiracy theories. Sea birds will feast on the remains and the rest will wash back into the sea. It will pong for a bit. You wouldn't eat road kill, so don't eat these. There is no 'waste' in nature. Some creature or other out there will eat every last scrap.

This is a fairly natural worldwide phenomena, the reasons for stated in the article.

The fish most likely ran into a cold water current that they couldn’t adjust to quick enough and we’re immobilized, or they were chased ashore by predators such as tuna or dolphins, or succumbed to oxygen deficiency from overcrowding.

Something "fishy" about this...

Some had to say it...

Japan won't let China test the fish, and China won't trust the results if only Japan tests the fish. Nothing will come of this. Too much corruption on both sides. We most likely will never know the true cause of this event

How about allowing a neutral country test the fish, a country that both sides can trust because both sides are shady when it comes to this, then we would know for sure.

I don't suppose there was a "reason." There was likely a cause.

The Sardines need testing for diseases.

To quell the speculation, which will gather pace, would be carrying out independent analysis testing programmes procedures.

The photo is remarkable, could soon present a public health crisis.

Carpets of dead rotting fish.

What a coincidence! Not good for the J-government's narrative

TEPCO tested them and said there was no radiation….Not!

Today 07:02 am JST

Radiation sickness

Based on what evidence?

The JTUC (Jump To Unsubstantiated Conclusions) cult is strong here.......

Wondering if there will be a follow-up story after the authorities have done testing?

It won't be long until someone here brings up Fukushima. Then we'll all feel like the fish and just give up.

Ha ha. Brilliant.

Thank goodness this didn't happen in the summer time, can you imagine the fly's and stench. In next week's news, in Hakodate has an alarming rate of obese cats, some cats might reach a record of 25kg.

The new standard is to use question marks. Foreign media are actually saying things like “Fish die after Fukushima release of water?”

I have read that some fish species, whales, and even some mammals are especially sensitive to earthquakes; I wonder if there's something to that in this case?

I have read that some fish species, whales, and even some mammals are especially sensitive to earthquakes; I wonder if there's something to that in this case?

If this is even potentially the case how do you explain that it never happened before, particularly with all the earthquakes that happen here in Japan and the region?

The cause is more probably due to the explanation in the article.

I wouldn't eat rotting fish off the beach.

People WANT to sell or eat this stuff? Not your usual fish story. Pretty disgusting to say the least.

It happens far away from Fukushima.

Texas Gulf Coast beach covered as thousands of dead Menhaden fish wash ashore

https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-gulf-coast-beach-covered-thousands-dead-menhaden-fish-wash-ashore

The sea surface temperature (SST) has record highs this year in Japan. We are also currently in a strong el Nino, the first since 15/16.

If water temp has been a factor in this, the above is the general background. As Chabbawanga, this is going to stink in a day or two and will need to be cleared up.

even the birds do not want to eat them, sounds fishy!

It was inevitable that some low brow comments about Fukushima would be posted when these fish washed up ashore in Hakodate. Maybe people should learn how to read a map.

Nobody knows exactly what caused so many fish to be washed ashore as yet. But the article says it happens very often all over the world. 

 Immediately coming into my mind is the fact that Australian divers were injured by a Chinese ship mapping with sonars the sea contours near an Australian ship whose divers were working in the sea at the time.

Thus, sonars are very dangerous not only to divers but also to sea mammals and probably fish. This is not a conspiracy theory. 　It is an assumption worth investigating.

Before eating or selling,

first test the fish in case of any poisoning.

Before eating or selling,

Before eating or selling sensible people would stop, think...and not eat or sell them.

Even most animals think twice before eating dead, rotting fish.

scoop them up and turn them into fertilizer for farming

Definitely the best idea - providing they are free of contaminants.

I use fertiliser made of composted carp and seaweed on my garden. Fantastic stuff.

The picture was truly horrible and disturbing and every one must be wondering why it happened? One sort of rational thought I came up with is that this huge shoal was surrounded by a big school of whales, and there only way out was to go farther inshore, where they were then washed ashore by a big wave. This story reminded of a school of whales found washed up on a beach on a tiny Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides. There was 55 in total all being Pilot whales. No reason has been found yet but experts say these whales form strong social bonds, so where one goes they all follow.

It's logical suspected because of climate change rather than Fukushima's effect

They need to be scooped up and incinerated.

Sardines, being the main food item for predatory fish, cetaceans and sea fowl, have incredible reproductive capability at the evolutionary trade-off of physical strength and intelligence.

The Japanese kanji for Sardine 鰯 literally means “weak fish.”

Even holding a sardine in your hands will cause it’s scales to peel off. Which is used as a defense mechanism to escape from predators. Sardines will literally shed their scales as they swim at high speeds to escape predators and leave a shiny decoy.

Evolution has made sardines both necessary and expendable.

Watch the documentary “The Great Sardine Run” that depicts the migration and predation of sardines, for the south of Africa to the northern pacific.

The fact that a shoal the size of this one survived so far north is testament to the resiliency of sardine stocks.

There was a forgotten news a little while back that Russia had asked China to "develop" Kunashiri and Etorofu which is exactly what Xi wants in the DELIBERATE march to develop the Pacific ocean into a CCP lake.

Had the fish disaster happened right around the Northeast corner of Hokkaido it might be obvious enough for kindergarten kids to see the connection.

But a bit lower South in Hakodate leaves room for speculation ––which is why it makes it typically good strategy for the PLA. Not to mention zero impact on their taking fish from the ocean in Kunashiri waters.

The how it was carried out part is more difficult since it is not knowable to those of us not involved in chemical and biological weapons development.

On the other hand access to Hakodate is excellent a look on google maps confirms great ocean ridges east of Hokkaido with lots of hiding spots for submarines...

Strange phenomenon. I'm inclined to agree with the other poster suggesting natural causes such as a sudden shift in temperature however it may also be related to the recent string of earthquakes and volcanos. But I'm no fisholigist.

Yikes. Not looking good for the pro-Fukushima water release crowd.

I personally do not believe there is a correlation, but this is great optics/propaganda for the folks in Beijing.

It is already very cold in Northern Japan. It will not be rotten so quickly. It should be possibe to collect this dead fish during the coming days and to process it into fertilizer or maybe pet food.

I don' know, but this dead fish must be moved as quick as possible from the shore.

Thus, sonars are very dangerous not only to divers but also to sea mammals and probably fish. This is not a conspiracy theory.

Right, and if this wasnt a conspiracy theory, and even borderline possible, all the other fish in the ocean would be dead too!

Oh wait, China is pinpointing it's sonar to kill off mackerel and sardine only!

Right, it's not a conspiracy theory at all, it's a joke!

Not too long ago there was a similar occurrence of dead fish along the Texas coast, US, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/11/us/dead-fish-texas-climate-change.html

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1181661320/fish-kill-texas-beaches-explained

Peter: "It won't be long until someone here brings up Fukushima."

Reminds me of when there's a mass shooting in the US and a Republican races to say, "Watch people bring up guns as a cause!"

Staying away from any Japanese fish for a while and buying from other countries. Somethings really screwing up the oceans now. We seem to be using like a bottomless toilet.

I have not eaten fish from Japan in months.

Has anyone ever died from eating "ocean kill", or even road kill for that matter? I highly doubt it, especially if the fish only recently washed ashore. One simple experiment would be to do a simple blind taste test with the sardines and mackerel caught in that area before and after their washing ashore.