Sushi seaweed crisis

Ariake seaweed is used for sushi

Japan's fishermen are celebrating Seaweed Day amid fears that a controversial land reclamation project could be causing a crisis in the industry.

We have never seen such a sharp decrease in nori supply

Yoshiaki Kobayashi, nori wholesaler

Seaweed or Nori Day is an annual event aimed at promoting greater consumption of the greenish-black seaweed that is a staple of Japanese dishes and is used to wrap sushi.

But officials say plummeting production has sent prices soaring by as much as 60% over the last year.

The Ariake provides more than 40% of Japan's seaweed

Fishermen blame a land reclamation project in the Ariake Sea, where more than 40% of the country's seaweed is harvested.

The government is draining Isahaya Bay, part of the Ariake, which was shut off in 1997 by the construction of a 7-km (4.5-mile) wall.

Last month several thousand Japanese fishermen formed a flotilla of boats at the sluice gates to protest against the project.

Taste

Hiroko Katori of the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations said the reason Ariake seaweed had lost its commercial value was due to a sharp increase in plankton which consumes the seaweed's nutrients.

"Nori from the Ariake Sea is among the highest quality in Japan, but now it has virtually no commercial value because it has lost its traditional taste and colour," she added.

"This is having a grave impact on the seaweed industry as a whole."

The federation said the price had jumped more than 10% from over a year ago and in some cases the rise was more than 60%.

Japanese officials decided to drain Isahaya Bay about 50 years ago when they were looking at ways to boost rice production after the war.

The agriculture ministry has said there is no link between reports of environmental problems and the land reclamation project.