By TOMOYUKI YAMAMOTO/ Staff Writer
October 16, 2024 at 17:48 JST
RAUSU, Hokkaido—Salmon are at the peak of their upstream migration in the rivers of the eastern Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
Salmon spend three to five years feeding and growing in the open sea before returning to their home rivers to spawn, swimming powerfully against the cold currents and vigorously flicking their tails to make it to journey's end.
However, the number of salmon in Japan has sharply declined in recent years due to rising sea temperatures caused by global warming.
While around 70 million salmon returned to Japanese rivers each year in the mid-2000s, recent numbers have dropped to between 20 and 30 million.
The water temperature in the Sashiruigawa river is 9 degrees.
Mature male salmon develop hooked snouts during the spawning season. After fulfilling their mission, the fish perish, marking the end of their life cycle.
“Salmon swimming upstream is a symbol of the arrival of autumn in Shiretoko,” said Katsunori Seki, an underwater photographer who has been observing salmon in the rivers here.
“I hope we can continue to witness their powerful journey for years to come,” he said.
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Salmon swim upstream in the Sashiruigawa river of Rausu, Hokkaido, on Oct. 5. (Takuya Isayama)
