Typhoon floods sweep away 100,000 prized koi at Chiba fish farm
Nearly 100,000 Nishikigoi carp ready for sale were swept away in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, after Typhoon Dujuan caused heavy rain in the Kanto region.
Ravaging the country on the night of 20 Sept, the typhoon led to severe flooding around Lake Inbanuma in Chiba Prefecture.
One of the worst-hit businesses was Tani Fish Farm in Narita, which breeds Nishikigoi ornamental carp and goldfish.
100,000 koi swept away
58-year-old farm owner Kenji Tani said he had returned from an overseas Nishikigoi exhibition on 22 Sept to find his entire facility submerged.
Source: Kyodo News
Floodwaters had reached around 1.5 metres high, leaving him unable to access the farm except by boat.
The farm had been preparing around 100,000 Nishikigoi carp for sale ahead of the season opening on 27 Sept.
However, most of the fish were swept away, with only around 200 to 300 surviving.
Damage estimated to be around 1 billion yen
Mr Tani estimated the total damage to his farm at around 1 billion yen (about S$8.1 million), including losses to equipment and facilities.
By 25 Sept, floodwaters had finally receded, and staff began clearing mud from the damaged site.
Source: FOX ^.ᆽ.^= ∫ on Pexels, for illustration purposes only.
“To be honest, we can’t see the future yet because we’ve just started cleaning,” Mr Tani said.
He urged authorities to quickly restore the damaged embankments, warning that further storms could cause more destruction.
Eel farms and agriculture also affected
The flooding also severely affected other fisheries around Lake Inbanuma.
The Inbanuma Fisheries Cooperative in Narita reported that most of its roughly 50,000 cultured eels were believed to have died or been washed away, resulting in losses worth hundreds of millions of yen.
Source: Jiji Press News
Large refrigerators and equipment at affected facilities were also found overturned after the flooding.
Agricultural producers also suffered losses after floodwaters entered a collective storage facility rented by local farmers and agricultural organisations.
Workers were forced to manually remove fallen rice bags that had collapsed and become soaked in floodwater.
Authorities estimate that around 1,000 bags of newly harvested rice will no longer be suitable for shipment, with losses expected to reach about 15 million yen (around S$121,500).
More damage reported across Chiba
The latest disaster adds to previous weather-related losses in Chiba.
Heavy rain in August caused around 8.22 billion yen (around S$66 million) in damage across 33 municipalities, while another downpour in early September resulted in about 230 million yen (around S$1.8 million) in losses across 17 municipalities.
Source: Japan Forward
A strawberry farm in Kimitsu was also affected after a nearby river overflowed, damaging around 10% to 20% of its seedlings.
At least 11 killed amid storm
According to the Mainichi, at least 11 people have been killed after the storm hit.
Over 4,000 homes in Chiba Prefecture reportedly lost power.
Source: Yomiuri
Service was suspended across several railway lines, disrupting commuters returning to work after Japan’s five-day Silver Week holiday, which ran from 19 Sept to 23 Sept.
Severe weather also led to event cancellations and grounded flights.
Also read: S’poreans in Japan advised to monitor weather & locate evacuation centres amid Typhoon Jangmi
S’poreans in Japan advised to monitor weather & locate evacuation centres amid Typhoon Jangmi
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Featured image adapted from Kyodo News and FOX ^.ᆽ.^= ∫ on Pexels, for illustration purposes only.
