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Wisdom of the sea
Fishermen pull in their set nets anticipating the days catch. 99.11.6/Temperature: 8C/ Weather: Partly cloudy / Wind Direction: W
Start: Funakoshi Station/@Latitude: 39 51 31 N / Longitude: 139 48 41 E
Destination: Kawashiri Sousha Shrine, Akita City /Latitude: 39 42 37 N/ Longitude: 140 05 56 E
Distance Traveled: 24kmYesterday I spent the entire morning experiencing the daily routine of Oga City fishermen. I was able to go out fishing with a local crew, learn some of the wisdom of the sea, and enjoy the freshest meal of my life with them.
All eight crew members congregated at the seaside fishermen's house to get ready for the early morning catch. Several members sat around the second floor stove drinking Japanese green tea. Another fisherman sat staring out at the morning sea. He appeared to be reading both the weather forecast as well as the days catch. I was told that the catch didn't look all that promising. "The sea is too rough today," he said. All eight crew members pulled on their waterproof overall and jackets, then headed out to the boat.
Local fishermen slice up salmon and flatfish only minutes after arriving at the docks. The engine roared and the boat slowly zigzagged through the concrete tide-brakers. All crew members stood facing the sea ahead, legs spread shoulder length apart, hands placed on the low of their backs. I stumbled trying to keep my balance. Heading out to the first set net the captain said, "The winds today are coming from the north. There won't be that many fish in our nets. Our nets are set up for different winds." Approaching the net, crew members quickly set up for work. Extending a long hook, one crew member pulled in the net. Other members slowly began to pull in the net, waiting with anticipation. When the net was finally raised several salmon, a few yellow tail and flounder , and some jelly fish spilled out on the deck of the boat. Flipping against the deck, with swift kicks, fish were directed into the recessed tub in the middle of the boat.
Fresh miso salmon soup! Mmmc yum. We made the morning rounds to four different nets, each confirming the captains prediction that the day's catch would be small. What fish we did catch were emptied out at the local fishing coop, weighed and sent out to be auctioned at the main coop. Taking a few fish aside for breakfast all crew members were back on the boat and headed for the seaside fishermen's house.
The fish set aside for breakfast were immediately laid out on a sheet of plywood. Two fishermen pulled out their well used knives and began to carve up the fish. An entire salmon was sliced up within minutes. Flatfish, yellow tail, and squid were sliced up to be served raw. I never would have imagined to eat such fresh and nutritious a meal.
When breakfast was served, a giant pot of miso salmon stew (including salmon, yellow tail, leeks, and tofu) and a platter of raw fish were laid out before all of the crew members. This luxurious and healthy meal is merely a daily occurrence for the crew.
Hatahata set net designed specifically for catching hatahata which tend to migrate close to the sea bottom. Salmon nets are designed differently because they generally migrate close to the surface of the ocean.. Though my total experience with the fishing crew was short I was able to catch glimpses of the wisdom of their daily lives. First of all, the fishermen's ability to read nature's signs has allowed them to create a living thus far. Again sayings such as, "Once the mountain turns white three times, hatahata will come," show their ability to read and live off of nature that still exists. I was also impressed by the fresh and healthy yet simple preparation of the miso salmon soup. Lastly, the technology of set nets is a clever innovation that has been accumulated and passed down over the years. Nets are designed specifically to catch certain fish in certain areas (see photo of hatahata set net).
The lifestyle of fishermen in the Oga Peninsula has been passed down through many long and healthy generations. Most of the fishermen I encountered were strong, very healthy and in there 60's or 70's. Everything from reading the weather and fish patters to designing nets and dietary habits has led to the particular lifestyle that I witnessed yesterday morning.
It doesn't seem like such a bad lifestyle to me. What do all of you think?
Greg
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