Here are the highlights of the article (with my observations):
Japanese fishermen brace for giant jellyfish.
Massive creatures, traveling in packs and up to 450 lbs are being channeled by ocean currents into the Sea of Japan - causing potential economic devastation for entire communities.
The jellyfish destroy fishermen's nets, getting trapped in them, tearing holes and ruining catches.
Fishermen often use expensive mazelike nets that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. When swarms of giant jellyfish tear them, the result is devastating.
My Observation - so let me get this right. For years the International Community has been up in arms about nets that span 100's of kilometers. They are called DRIFT NETS. They are responsible for killing hundreds, perhaps thousands of species - including dolphins, sea turtles and sharks - the oceans top predator - and most likely the species that keeps creatures like this in check.
Let's switch gears and talk about another new event - Giant Squid. Are there parallels between giant jellyfish and giant squid invading California waters, washing up on shore and attacking divers?
Have the ocean's top predators numbers dropped so much that our oceans are being taken over by even more invasive and ravenous predators - like Giant Squid?
Just last week thousands of giant squid showed up along California's coast, attacking divers.
Before I saw this news event I had heard of giant squid possibly responsible for the reduction of wild salmon in our oceans.
We are in discussions about a made for TV on wild Grizzlies on the western coast Canada. These creatures feed on wild salmon whose numbers are in decline. Last year saw the worst wild salmon run on BC's west coast almost in record. People are wondering what is happening to wild salmon and why they aren't returning in the numbers they once did. The Grizzlies are hungry!
One of the production company's we are in discussions with thinks they have the answer. Giant Squid! They recently finished a documentary of these giant squid. The theory is that their natural predator to these Giant Squid is ALSO sharks and other large predatory fish. Over fishing by Asian cultures for shark fins, tuna and other creatures has left a void in keeping these creatures in check. Their documentary shows these ravenous squid tearing salmon to pieces in the open ocean. No wonder the returning stocks are in decline.
If all the drift nets and ravenous killing of these creatures for their fins in the Asian dishes has put their species in peril - then are all these strange and monstrous creatures filling the void and taking their place? Are the Giant Jellyfish another spin off of this activity really caused by man after all?
My question would be are the Japanese villages that engage in Drift Net activity not getting back the rewards of the seeds that they planted a long time ago?
With advances in technology and the Internet, we are living in an ever changing planet that we can all now take responsibility for in real time and actually make a difference by spreading the word far and wide.