Jan 15 (News On Japan) - Blue Dream follows the people working on the front lines to protect Japan’s rapidly deteriorating marine and forest environments, where once-abundant fishing grounds and seaweed beds have been giving way to what is increasingly described as an underwater desert.
Along Japan’s coasts, areas that once supported rich seaweed forests used by fish for feeding and spawning have been steadily disappearing, a phenomenon known as isoyake, or barren coastal reefs. The problem has spread nationwide, with around 80 percent of prefectures reporting declining seaweed beds. The primary cause is an explosion in sea urchin populations that graze on seaweed, compounded by rising seawater temperatures linked to climate change.
One of the people confronting this crisis is Yuuta Nazaki, a fisherman from Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, who has been working at sea for more than a decade since graduating from high school. The ocean he grew up with is now his livelihood, but catches have become increasingly unstable, swinging between unusually good and unusually poor years. Nazaki says the changes in fishing grounds and seasons have become impossible to ignore.
A father of four, Nazaki worries about the future his children will inherit. His eldest son says he wants to become a fisherman because it looks cool, but Nazaki says he wants to be able to tell the next generation with confidence that the sea is worth passing on. That sense of responsibility has driven him to take action beyond daily fishing.
In late August, Nazaki and fellow fishermen temporarily set aside their normal work to protect the sea itself, heading to nearby waters where the damage is severe. Beneath the surface, large areas are stripped bare, with rocks exposed and densely packed sea urchins filling the gaps. With no predators and few divers left to remove them, the urchins multiply unchecked. Many are so malnourished they cannot even be sold.
Over the past decade, the number of fishermen able to dive has fallen by half, making it difficult to keep pace with the spread of isoyake. Still, Nazaki says quitting is not an option, because their lives depend on the sea.
Seaweed plays a critical role not only in marine ecosystems but also in absorbing carbon dioxide. Seaweed beds can capture up to five times more carbon than land-based plants, a mechanism known as blue carbon. This has become the next strategy for the sea’s guardians.
In early March, fishermen in Itoshima enter the peak season for cultivating wakame seaweed. The farms, located about 10 minutes by boat from the port, are also blue carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide as they grow. Even the portions of wakame that cannot be sold become valuable, because their weight is used to calculate how much carbon has been absorbed.
By submitting verified data to government-approved certification bodies, the absorbed carbon can be turned into credits and sold to companies. This creates an additional income stream for fishermen and turns environmental protection into a viable business model.
Supporting this effort is Yuki Nakamura, who has spent the past year and a half working on blue carbon projects at a Fukuoka-based company that produces health products derived from seaweed. The company collaborates with Kyushu University on research into Itoshima’s wakame and aims to build a sustainable blue carbon economy that benefits both fishermen and manufacturers.
Nakamura says promoting blue carbon is essential not only for the environment but also to secure future raw materials for his company. By linking economic incentives with conservation, he believes long-term activity becomes possible.
The initiative has expanded with support from local government. In 2021, the company signed a blue carbon promotion agreement with the Itoshima fisheries cooperative, later joined by Itoshima City. City officials say labor shortages in fisheries are a serious issue, and wakame cultivation combined with blue carbon has helped revive motivation among fishermen and attract wider participation.
The program reflects a broader understanding that the sea and land are deeply connected. Rain that falls in forests eventually feeds the sea, often after spending decades underground as groundwater. Companies that depend on water, including Suntory, have long recognized this link.
At the foot of mountain ranges across Japan, Suntory manages large tracts of forest known as Natural Water Sanctuaries, aimed at protecting groundwater sources. Veteran forest guardian Takeshi Yamada leads teams of younger employees and researchers, teaching them how healthy forests with soft, organic-rich soil can absorb rain and nurture clean water.
Deer overpopulation has become a major threat, with animals stripping vegetation and preventing soil regeneration. To counter this, teams install protective fencing, allowing plants to recover and restoring the spongy soil needed to store water.
Suntory manages 26 forest areas nationwide, most of which are not company-owned but maintained through agreements with national and local governments. The company says its efforts replenish roughly twice the amount of groundwater it uses for its products, making forest conservation central to its business rather than a volunteer activity.
In recent years, Suntory has expanded these efforts by offering corporate training programs in its forests, even hosting employees from rival companies. Participants say environmental challenges can no longer be addressed by one company alone and require cooperation across regions and industries.
This philosophy was echoed at a Nature Positive Forum held on August 25th, organized by Suntory, which drew about 2,300 participants online and in person to discuss how to protect forests and oceans nationwide.
Back in Itoshima, the next generation is being introduced to the sea. Local children gathered for a snorkeling class led by fishermen and environmental educators, learning hand signals and safety techniques before entering the water. Just offshore, they saw areas where seaweed beds have begun to recover, attracting schools of small fish and larger predators.
After the swim, the children took part in a beach cleanup, collecting large amounts of microplastics washed ashore. Seeing the pollution firsthand helped them understand how human behavior affects marine life.
Educators say creating opportunities for people to see these environments directly is the most effective way to inspire action. The sea, they tell the children, belongs to everyone, and even small efforts, repeated by many people, can restore the connections between forests, rivers, and oceans, allowing nature to recover.
Source: テレ東BIZ ダイジェスト
