Snow crab fishing resumes at quake-damaged Wajima port in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Nov. 8. (Tatsuo Kanai)

Photo/Illutration Snow crabs are landed and arranged by size in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Nov. 8. (Tatsuo Kanai)

Fishing operations are finally back to normal, well almost, at the port of Wajima in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, following the magnitue-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1.

Thirty-two small trawlers returned to the port one after another on Nov. 8 with their hauls of snow crab. They had been offshore since midnight the previous day 

The seabed at Wajima port was uplifted by the earthquake on New Year’s Day, stranding about 200 anchored fishing boats. The quay walls were also damaged.

Unable to fish, the fishermen worked part-time to shred and recycle nets that were no longer needed. They also worked in civil engineering projects and other jobs away from the sea to make a living.

At the end of October, temporary restoration of the work area used for unloading was completed by removing earth and sand from the port. Even so, there was still a gap between the work area and the sea surface, so the catch was unloaded using a conveyor belt set up on a temporary pier.

There is still insufficient space for the fishing boats to pass through and anchor, and the port is far from fully restored.

“It was good that we were finally able to get out for fishing,” said Katsutoshi Okizaki, 50, chairman of the Wajima small bottom trawlers association. “(But) the port has not been fully fixed yet, so it will be difficult to return to normal fishing.”

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