The fishing industry is taking a hit in Hokkaido, northern Japan, due to sea lions with big appetites. Fishermen say that they are worried about losses caused by herds of them eating their catches.
More than 50 Steller sea lions up to three meters long were seen lying on a coastal levee or jumping into water a few kilometers from a port in Ishikari Bay.
They are called "sea gangsters" in Hokkaido, because they are hurting the local fishing industry at the peak offlounder season. Losses totaled more than 10 million dollars for the year through March 2017.
A fisherman says that he brought in just a fraction of an average haul on Thursday morning as sea lions ate the fish inside the fishing nets.
He says he needs about 25,000 dollars to buy or repair nets damaged by the creatures.
Fishers are only allowed to hunt a fixed number of sea lions as they are designated as a near-threatened speciesin the northern Pacific. .
More than 50 Steller sea lions up to three meters long were seen lying on a coastal levee or jumping into water a few kilometers from a port in Ishikari Bay.
They are called "sea gangsters" in Hokkaido, because they are hurting the local fishing industry at the peak offlounder season. Losses totaled more than 10 million dollars for the year through March 2017.
A fisherman says that he brought in just a fraction of an average haul on Thursday morning as sea lions ate the fish inside the fishing nets.
He says he needs about 25,000 dollars to buy or repair nets damaged by the creatures.
Fishers are only allowed to hunt a fixed number of sea lions as they are designated as a near-threatened speciesin the northern Pacific. .
◆coastal levee防波堤、防潮堤 a special wall built to stop a river flooding
◆offlounderカレイ
◆fraction ごく少量、ほんの僅か a very small amount of something
◆haul （１回の網の）漁獲量 the amount of fish caught in one net or in one period of time
◆designate 指定する to choose someone or something for a particular job or purpose
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