Giant jellyfish coming from China are causing a major problem for Japan's fishing industry.
Giant jellyfish Image: blog.sina.com.cn/amxshto |
Recent reports state that the jellyfish, which can weigh up to 200kg and measure almost two metres across, have been causing serious problems to the Japanese fishing industry since around 2002, but this year locals believe the scale of the problem is larger than ever.
The giant creatures, officially known as Nemopilemanomurai, are believed to float on currents from the coastal waters of China into the Sea of Japan. The jellyfish can seriously damage fishing nets as well as having stinging tentacles. In one incident in 2009 a massive jellyfish even capsized a fishing boat when it was caught in its nets.
Scientists believe the scale of the problem has been caused by rising sea temperatures and the removal of predators to the jellyfish from overfishing in Japanese waters. The creatures stay in area throughout each summer.