Conventional way of wakame seaweed mating was performed by hands of local fishermen
[From Ofunato city-my stricken home town]
– East Japan Great Earthquake & Tsunami Disaster-
Kadonohama Wakeme Seaweed Farming Union in Massaki town
Mating of wakame seaweed was performed at Massaki town on July 14 and 15. On July 15, 38 members from the South Seashore Wakame Seaweed farming association, who are based on Kadonohama fishing port, participated to the mating. Most participants have no experience of wakame seaweed mating before, but they associated to the work under the senior fishermen and pray for good harvest of the brand ‘Massaki Wakame’ for next spring.
All participants gathered at Kadonohama fishing port before 7:00 in the morning. ‘Tane-ito’ or mating thread of 2,400 meters long was prepared and members started mating depended on their farming areas. In usual years, most fishermen used ready-made thread and hand-made mating work was performed in more than 30 years. The mating was proceeded under the guidance from senior fishermen. Sprouts of wakame seaweed were soaked in seawater in a test tank and then thread was brought into it when wakame spores were about to sprout out. Mated thread was directly brought into the sea off 1 km from the port, and the thread in the net was soaked deep with sinker. They can expect harvest for next spring if it were grown well. Role of production management was divided into and arranged to each member, because they have only limited number of fishing boats available.
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| Tsunami washed into the Kadonohama port and greatly damaged |
‘We have only limited number of boats available. Having no adviser for our farming, we must grope our own way. We hope wakame spores sprout out well.’ Mr. Ozaki, the union president, prayed for good harvest. According to the Massaki Branch Office in Ofunato Fishermen’s Union, about 65 fishermen (about 70%) in Massaki town, including the member of the North Wakame Seaweed Farming Union, are trying restarting of wakame farming.
Although, the recovery work of the union has just started, there are innumerable problems to solve.
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| Calm and rich fishing port of Kadonohama before the tsunami |
‘Most fishermen can’t order their fishing boats and they are worrying about losing of fishing season without working anything. They are just working on what they can do now under uncertain environment. We are really afraid of fishermen who give up wakame farming.’ Mr. Toshiya Kamata, the vice branch manager, said.
＜Reference＞
http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/
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