Local News

The tairagi fan shells are one of the special products of the Ariake Sea, and last year there was a bumper harvest, the first in 13 years. This year, however, the Saga Prefecture Ariake Maritime Promotion Center reports that many are dying in the Ariake Sea off the prefecture due to an extreme lack of oxygen in the sea water. The center confirmed they had been wiped out entirely in five primary production areas, and 92% of the population had died out in a sixth. The lack of oxygen is attributed to a combination of heavy rains, hot temperatures, and little wind.