Japan is known as a fishery country but had experienced and also is under surviving from the regime shift of fishery catch. The regime shifts exhibit the frequency of 20 to 30 years and sometimes 90 years between a big and a small catch. I would like to introduce one historic spot in Hokkaido, called “Nishin-Goten” ,in Japanese, means “a castle of herring”. The photo shows the Nishin-Goten located in Tomari, where an owner governs everything and seasonal fishermen worked together. The herrings were dried as foods for us and nutrients for agriculture, oils were pressed out for lamp. The big income made these Nishin-Goten along the west coast of Hokkaido. The peak in catch of herrings was 750,000 tons/year around 1910 to 1920, and currently the catch is less than 100 tons/year. These regime shifts are also observed in Salmon or Japanese sardine because of the climate change. We have to survive the regime shift and to learn what is happening from historic spots. The Nishin-Goten is not used now, but is cleanly maintained. Please check my photos at “Nishin-goten in Tomari” on GSV.
Thanks for sharing @IchioA , it really gives you something to think about. We have to face the consequences of climate change and I believe we are seeing this pretty much every where.
I hope it will turn around soon and steadily increase so the Nishin- Goten can become a busy place again some day.
Is it a popular place to go for tourists now?
About 50 Nishin-gotens were managed in the past. But a few number of them were arranged for tourists. The Nishin-goten in Otaru is very populer and very busy with tourists, but the Nishin-goten in Tomari, which I introduced, is not well known.
Then you get to keep the beautiful scenery for yourself @asanumaichio , that’s not a bad thing in my opinion.
I could just imagine how busy it used to be, probably swarming with fisherman. It would be nice to be able to have seen it back then.