Japanese fishermen brace for giant jellyfish

[AsahinaKimi]

Source: cnn



(CNN) -- Giant jellyfish descend on the Sea of Japan, causing untold devastation to coastal villages and leaving a trail of destruction and human misery behind.

Sounds like a great sci-fi flick. But it's not.

It's real and a nightmare for Japanese fishermen.

The massive sea creatures, called Nomura's jellyfish, can grow 6 feet (1.83 meters) in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds (204 kilos). Scientists think they originate in the Yellow Sea and in Chinese waters. For the third year since 2005, ocean currents are transporting them into the Sea of Japan.

Monty Williams, a marine biologist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish grow to an enormous size as they are transported by ocean currents. He said they stay together in packs and as they drift northward, they get caught in fishermen's nets.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/19/japan.jellyfish/index.html

[Teaser]

1. That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over, what the fuck are we gonna do now?

.

[proteus_lives]

28. Maybe we can build a fire. Sing a couple of songs.

[wreckhead]

33. We should get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon

..and they mostly come at night. Mostly.

[proteus_lives]

36. "17 days? We aren't going to last 17 hours man."

"Those things are going to come in here like before and kill us!"

[sfwriter]

34. Nuke them from orbit...

It's the only way to be sure. :-)

I caught that Aliens reference!

[imdjh]

2. Wouldn't you think that they would be a "delicacy"? Every other weird thing seems to be. nt

[lindisfarne]

5. Yes, the dried, flattened, & salted, 6 foot jellyfish delicacy. n/t

[havocmom]

8. you should see the order of chips that comes with that

keeps the economy of Idaho going.

[billyoc]

3. But don't the whales eat the jellyf--

Oops...

[Teaser]

4. It's the circle of dumb.

.

[lindisfarne]

7. Whales eat krill. n/t

[imdjh]

9. Stop krilling whales!

[lindisfarne]

11. Some eat peanut butter & jellyfish sandwiches though.n/t

[imdjh]

16. There's always room for jellofish.

[weddingdress]

21. My god!

oh..my god,like a huge monster! I know this kind of big jellyfish can kill people!

Yea,stop killing whales,we need Ecological balance!!

chinese clothing

[Canuckistanian]

30. And they're getting bigger

[billyoc]

10. Whales eat juvenile jellyfish.

[lindisfarne]

13. With peanut butter? n/t

[billyoc]

19. It's peanut butter jellyfish time!

[spelldmilk]

25. less whales, more jellies. hmmm...

[caseymoz]

32. Poetic justice for Japan, then.

They've been cheating on whale protection treaties for years.

[Uncle Joe]

35. And in the case of Sperm Whale; they eat squid. n/t

[havocmom]

6. whoa that's some jelly fish

interesting read. Thanks for posting

[lovuian]

12. Its going on everywhere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt_V7fUckL0

I hope you like Jellyfish soup

[AsahinaKimi]

14. I hope this influences TOHO..

To make a Godzilla vs the Giant Jelly fish film.. it would be awesome wouldn't it?

[lindisfarne]

15. Apparently, it's not the "family fisherman" who needs to worry. "Fishermen often use expensive

mazelike nets that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. When swarms of giant jellyfish tear them, the result is devastating.

[timeforpeace]

17. There's some good eatin on one of them

[Odin2005]

18. Sounds like the catch line of a horror-monster movie!

:scared:

[Joe Bacon]

23. It looks like a job for these guys!

[edbermac]

20. Giant jellyfish? HAH! Fuckin' narwhals will kick their asses!

[wroberts189]

22. OMG .... nt

[lexanman]

24. Obama's fault

:evilgrin:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

27. What with GIANT SQUIDS in CA it must be!!!!

[depakid]

26. Maybe the Japenese can spend a ton of money to create a market for them

Properly prepared, they can't be any worse than whale meat.

[sarah FAILIN]

31. I think it would make a good beauty product /wrinkle reducer nt

.

[shellgame26]

29. yet another consequence of global warming

http://www.celsias.com/article/jellyfish-swarms-our-earth-bites-back/

[Art_from_Ark]

37. In Japan, these are called "Echizen" jellyfish

and they make frequent appearances in the Sea of Japan. They didn't appear last year, but they did appear in 2007.