For generations, a salty dish made from Japan's flying squid has been a staple of people living in the country's north. Now, as oceans around Japan warm at their fastest rate on record, the flying squid are becoming rarer, and dishes that were once a staple are now becoming a delicacy.
For two generations Takashi Odajima's family have used these oak barrels to make a Japanese dish, shio-kara, literally, "salty spicy".
It's a regional specialty made by fermenting Japan's famous flying squid.
After World War Two, when people in this part of far northern Japan were starving, "salty spicy" was a crucial source of protein.
Flying squid is so important to this area, Takashi calls it his hometown's soul.
But now, here in the town of Hakodate, the generations-old squid trade is being ravaged by the effects of climate change as waters around Japan warm up at the fastest rate on record.
Takashi says that means there's now a squid shortage and prices are going up
That makes sticking to his family's "salty spicy" recipe, and its traditionally accessible price, tough work.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TAKASHI ODAJIMA, SHIO-KARA PRODUCER:
"It's a battle but we can't raise prices because we won't be able to sell our product. So, a lot of people use imported squid and other things to manage."
Reuters Mari Saito recently traveled to Hakodate to follow the story of how a necessity has become a delicacy.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MARI SAITO, REUTERS CORRESPONDENT:
"I am here at the Hakodate docks, where fishermen have for decades been leaving port to catch the Japanese flying squid. Now catches of this squid have plummeted in recent years because of climate change. And this is having devastating effects on businesses in this area."
Less than ten years ago, fishermen were hauling in over 200 thousand tons of flying squid a year.
Now that number has fallen by nearly 75 percent.
Japan's fisheries ministry says while it knows that flying squid numbers are in decline, the current official catch allowance is appropriate and doesn't need to be reduced.
But, from the squid producers of Hokkaido to the sushi chefs of Tokyo, the possibility of the flying squid disappearing forever could soon become a reality.
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Warming seas take a toll on Japan's flying squid doha mapa | |
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| News & Politics | Upload TimePublished on 31 Oct 2018 |
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