MINAMI-SANRIKU, Miyagi Prefecture -- Fishermen got off to a good start when the autumn salmon season opened on Sept. 26, but maintaining such success could prove tougher in this town still rebuilding from the March 11 disaster.
MINAMI-SANRIKU, Miyagi Prefecture -- Fishermen got off to a good start when the autumn salmon season opened on Sept. 26, but maintaining such success could prove tougher in this town still rebuilding from the March 11 disaster.
Brokers and market dealers were all smiles as fishing boats, each showing flags representing a good catch, headed back to port after fishing for salmon, the city's main source of income.
"I am glad I was able to go fishing," said Minoru Abe, 47, captain of the Araya Choei Maru. "Now comes the difficult part."
Some 200 days after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami devastated Minami-Sanriku, signs of the destruction to the town's fishing industry are still evident.
On the first day of the fishing season, 19 boats landed about 1 ton of salmon. Before the disaster, the town had about 100 boats, and Minami-Sanriku was considered one of the best ports in the country.
Autumn salmon represents about 60 percent of the town's total fish catch.
"I want to pursue reconstruction of the town with autumn salmon fishing as a steppingstone," said Minami-Sanriku Mayor Jin Sato, who observed the first auction.