A bizarre incident took place at a beach in Hakodate, on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, which quickly erupted conspiracy theories linked with the country’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, that hit headlines after the treated water from it was discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
Thousands of tons of dead fish, including sardines and mackerel, washed ashore on Thursday (Dec 7) morning. The incident covered a stretch of beach nearly half a mile long, leaving both locals and officials confused.
As residents began collecting and even selling the stranded fish, authorities swiftly issued a warning urging people to refrain from consuming them due to unknown health risks.
Experts are scrambling to determine the cause behind this unusual phenomenon.
While the exact reason remains elusive, speculation has arisen, with some pointing fingers at the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
This follows Japan’s controversial decision to release a second batch of wastewater from the Fukushima facility in October. This move drew criticism, especially from China.
Possible causes
Takashi Fujioka, a researcher at the Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute, shared insights into the peculiar incident, stating, “One possible cause is that the school of fish was chased by a larger fish, became exhausted, and was washed up by the waves. Another possible cause is that the school of fish entered cold waters during their migration and were then washed ashore. But details are uncertain.”
Fujioka, cautioning against consuming the stranded fish, said, “We don’t know for sure under what circumstances these fish were washed up, so I do not recommend eating them.”
(With inputs from agencies)
