Climate Change in Japan

Climate change is creating mutant fugu fish in Japan

And now, climate change is adding a new element of risk: Fishermen are discovering an unprecedented number of hybrid species in their catch as seas surrounding the archipelago – particularly off the northeastern coast – see some of the fastest rates of warming in the world.

With pufferfish heading north to seek cooler waters, sibling species of the fish have begun to inter-breed, triggering a sudden increase in the number of hybrid fish. Hybrids are no more dangerous than your average lethal pufferfish. The problem is that they can be hard to distinguish from established species. To avoid accidental poisonings, Japan prohibits their sale and distribution. With the rise of these unclassifiable hybrids, fishermen and fish traders are having to discard a sizable share of their catch.

Kaniya, a seafood-processing company here in Shimonoseki, is one of many in the industry frustrated by the government's rule to discard such hybrids, considering that most subspecies of pufferfish frequently found in Japan's northeastern waters have poison in the same organs and can be safely eaten if handled correctly.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/fugu-fish-growing-larger-japan-climate-change-toxic-delicacy-shimonoseki-ocean-warming-acidification/119490