Fish saved from Japan earthquake aftermath
Hundreds of prized ornamental carp were airlifted to safety by a helicopter today from breeding grounds devastated by a powerful earthquake in northern Japan last month.
The quake created fissures in the ground which gradually drained ponds in Niigata prefecture, the principal breeding area of famed nishikigoi carp for the past 200 years.
“They’re living organisms. We can’t just ask them to sit and wait,” said Hajime Isa, chairman of a local carp breeders’ association.
Japanese ornamental carp, known as living jewels and swimming flowers, are prized for display in ponds, parks and water gardens. They sell for thousands of euro.
Local breeders chartered a helicopter to rescue more than 450 carp from an area that remains inaccessible after roads were swept away in landslides triggered by the quake and numerous aftershocks.
The region has lost about one million carp, about 40% of its total, as a result of the quake.
