China: Octopus Clings to Phone After Being Caught by Fisher in Fuzhou

In Fuzhou, Fujian, a video captured a man fishing when he unexpectedly caught an octopus with a phone stuck to one of its tentacles on September 28. The octopus refused to let go, wrapping its arms tightly around the device as if claiming it as its own.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

SAGA, Japan, Oct. 18 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 18, 2024, shows nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan. (Kyodo)

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 18, 2024, shows nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farmers spread their nets in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan on Oct. 18, 2024.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farmers spread their nets in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan on Oct. 18, 2024.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 18, 2024, shows nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan.

US, Japan And South Korea Hold Drills In Disputed Sea

US, Japan And South Korea Hold Drills In Disputed Sea

Handout photo dated April 11, 2024 shows The Republic of Korea Navy Sejong the Great-class guided-missile destroyer ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG 993), top, the U.S Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Murasame-class destroyer JS Ariake (DD 109) sail in formation during a trilateral exercise. A U.S. carrier strike group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has held a two-day joint exercise with its allies Japan and South Korea as U.S. President Joe Biden met for talks with leaders from Japan and the Philippines at the White House. The military and diplomatic maneuvers are meant to strengthen the partners’ solidarity in the face of what they see as China’s aggressive military actions in the region. A number of U.S. and South Korean guided missile destroyers and a Japanese warship joined the drills in the disputed East China Sea, where worries about China’s territorial claims are rising. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st C

Sunset spot in southwestern Japan

Sunset spot in southwestern Japan

The setting sun lights up a path over the Ariake Sea at the Port of Miike in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 21, 2023.

Sunset spot in southwestern Japan

Sunset spot in southwestern Japan

The setting sun lights up a path over the Ariake Sea at the Port of Miike in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 21, 2023.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 28, 2023, shows colorful nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan. (Kyodo)

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farmers spread nets for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan on Oct. 28, 2023.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farmers spread nets for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan on Oct. 28, 2023.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 28, 2023, shows colorful nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 28, 2023, shows colorful nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan.

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Seaweed farming in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 28, 2023, shows colorful nets spread for seaweed farming in the Ariake Sea off Saga in southwestern Japan.

Debris from missing helicopter found in Ariake Sea

Debris from missing helicopter found in Ariake Sea

FUKUOKA, Japan - Debris from a U.S.-made Robinson R44 Raven helicopter (of type shown in photo) was found Dec. 25 in the Ariake Sea off Saga Prefecture. The helicopter went missing Dec. 24 with three people aboard.

Missing chopper crashed, coast guard says after finding debris

Missing chopper crashed, coast guard says after finding debris

SAGA, Japan - Japan Coast Guard divers examine a blade from a rotor believed to belong to a missing helicopter in the Ariake Sea off Saga Prefecture on Dec. 25. A Robinson R44 Raven helicopter went missing Dec. 24 with three employees of charter flight operator SGC Saga Koku aboard.

Court rejects gov't suit over penalties on Isahaya Bay dike

Court rejects gov't suit over penalties on Isahaya Bay dike

SAGA, Japan - Fishery workers celebrate on Dec. 12, 2014, in front of the Saga District Court in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after the court dismissed the central government's demand for an annulment of a court order for it to pay penalties to fishermen until it opens the floodgates of the Isahaya Bay dike in the Ariake Sea.

Laver seaweed growers start work for cultivation in Japan

Laver seaweed growers start work for cultivation in Japan

SAGA, Japan - Fishermen begin preparations for the cultivation of seaweed used for "nori" dried laver in the Ariake Sea off Saga, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 15, 2014.

Kashima Gatalympic at mudflats in Saga Pref.

Kashima Gatalympic at mudflats in Saga Pref.

SAGA, Japan - A woman with headwear showing Kumamon, the mascot character promoting Kumamoto Prefecture, dives into the mudflats of the Ariake Sea during the Kashima Gatalympic in Kashima, Saga Prefecture on May 25, 2014.

Kashima Gatalympic at mudflats in Saga Pref.

Kashima Gatalympic at mudflats in Saga Pref.

SAGA, Japan - Children participate in the Kashima Gatalympic at mudflats on the Ariake Sea in Kashima, Saga Prefecture on May 25, 2014.

Mud hoppers on increase

Mud hoppers on increase

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows mud hoppers in Ogi, Saga Prefecture, in June 2012. The population of mud hoppers in the Ariake Sea in southwestern Japan has shown an eight-fold increase in the first survey in 16 years, as they have been able to easily survive winters amid a temperature rise, a research institute said on May 29, 2013.

Mud hoppers on increase

Mud hoppers on increase

OGI, Japan - Photo shows a mud hopper in the Ariake Sea in Ogi, Saga Prefecture, on May 29, 2013. The population of mud hoppers in the Ariake Sea in southwestern Japan has shown an eight-fold increase in the first survey in 16 years, as they have been able to easily survive winters amid a temperature rise, a research institute said the same day.

Mud hoppers on increase

Mud hoppers on increase

OGI, Japan - Photo shows mud hoppers in the Ariake Sea in Ogi, Saga Prefecture, on May 29, 2013. The population of mud hoppers in the Ariake Sea in southwestern Japan has shown an eight-fold increase in the first survey in 16 years, as they have been able to easily survive winters amid a temperature rise, a research institute said the same day.

Court rejects demand for immediate opening of Isahaya Bay dike gates

Court rejects demand for immediate opening of Isahaya Bay dike gates

NAGASAKI, Japan - Hidenori Matsunaga, who led a group of 41 fishermen in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures in a lawsuit filed against the central government, is pictured during their gathering in Nagasaki on June 27, 2011, after the Nagasaki District Court rejected their demand for an immediate opening of two floodgates at the Isahaya Bay dike in the Ariake Sea. The fishermen claimed the shutting of the floodgates affected tidal currents and led to reduced fish catches.

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

MIHAMA, Japan - Employees of a ship clearance firm on Nov. 15, 2009, inspect the passenger and cargo ferry Ariake, which ran aground and overturned in the Sea of Kumano off the town of Mihama in Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

MIHAMA, Japan - Inspectors of the transport ministry's transportation safety committee on Nov. 15, 2009, inspect the passenger and cargo ferry Ariake, which ran aground and overturned in the Sea of Kumano off the town of Mihama in Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

KUMANO, Japan - Transport ministry officials inspect on Nov. 14, 2009, the passenger and cargo ferry Ariake, which run aground and overturned in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan the previous day. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

Overturned Japanese ferry inspected

KUMANO, Japan - Japan Coast Guard officials inspect on Nov. 14, 2009, the passenger and cargo ferry Ariake, which run aground and overturned in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan the previous day. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Japan ferry overturns off Mie Prefecture

Japan ferry overturns off Mie Prefecture

KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake runs aground and overturns in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

ABOARD KYODO HELICOPTER OVER THE SEA OF KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake leans to the right while sailing in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

ABOARD KYODO HELICOPTER OVER THE SEA OF KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake leans to the right while sailing in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

ABOARD KYODO HELICOPTER OVER THE SEA OF KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake leans to the right while sailing in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

ABOARD KYODO HELICOPTER OVER THE SEA OF KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake leans to the right while sailing in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

Ferry leans over off Mie Prefecture

ABOARD KYODO HELICOPTER OVER THE SEA OF KUMANO, Japan - The passenger and cargo ferry Ariake leans to the right while sailing in the Sea of Kumano off Mie Prefecture in central Japan on Nov. 13, 2009. All 28 passengers and crew members were rescued.

Emperor, empress visit Saga Prefecture

Emperor, empress visit Saga Prefecture

SAGA, Japan - Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko look at a tideland in Ariake Sea during their visit to Saga Prefecture on Oct. 29.

Protesters block gates in bid to stop Isahaya Bay project

Protesters block gates in bid to stop Isahaya Bay project

ISAHAYA, Japan - Fishermen block gates at a dike construction site for a land reclamation project in Isahaya Bay, southwestern Japan, on July 29. They claim that the project has destroyed the ecosystem in the Ariake Sea, where Isahaya Bay is located, and resulted in poor harvests of ''nori'' seaweed.

200 protesters conduct sit-in over Isahaya Bay project

200 protesters conduct sit-in over Isahaya Bay project

KUMAMOTO, Japan - About 200 members of the Ariake Sea fisheries cooperative association stage a sit-in in front of the Kyushu Agricultural Administration Office in Kumamoto on July 10 to protest the construction of a dike as part of a land reclamation project in Isahaya Bay, southwestern Japan.

Fishermen's protest scuttles Isahaya reclamation restart

Fishermen's protest scuttles Isahaya reclamation restart

ISAHAYA, Japan - A group of fishermen blockad the entrance to the reclamation site of Isahaya Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture on Jan. 8, forcing the farm ministry and construction workers to abandon their attempt to restart work for the day. The producers of ''nori'' seaweed in the Ariake Sea prevented the trucks carrying workers hired by the ministry from entering the 700-hectare site of reclaimed land.

Governors call for legislation favoring Ariake fisheries

Governors call for legislation favoring Ariake fisheries

TOKYO, Japan - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tsutomu Takebe (C) meets with four prefectural governors -- Kumamoto Gov. Yoshiko Shiotani (L), Saga Gov. Isamu Imoto (2nd from L), Fukuoka Gov. Wataru Aso (2nd from R) and Nagasaki Gov. Genjiro Kaneko -- at the farm ministry in Tokyo on May 18. The governors, whose prefectures are being affected by the poor ''nori'' seaweed harvest in the Ariake Sea, southwestern Japan, asked Takebe for legislation to conserve the area's ecology.

Symposium held to demand halt to Isahaya Bay reclamation

Symposium held to demand halt to Isahaya Bay reclamation

ISAHAYA, Japan - A citizens' group holds a symposium in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, on April 14 to muster support for their demand for an immediate halt to land reclamation work in Isahaya Bay in southwestern Japan. At the symposium, held to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the separation of the bay from the Ariake Sea, the group adopted a declaration urging the immediate opening of the dike's lock gates to restore the bay's wetland to its natural condition.

Opponents of opening Isahaya floodgates stage protest

Opponents of opening Isahaya floodgates stage protest

ISAHAYA, Japan - Some 700 people, living near Isahaya Bay on the western part of the Ariake Sea in southwestern Japan, stage protest rallies March 28 over the government's decision to suspend a land reclamation project in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, and open the floodgates in a dike holding back tons of seawater. The government made the decision in part from strong requests from ''nori'' seaweed farmers working in the Ariake Sea.

Fishermen blockade gates to Isahaya Bay land reclamation site

Fishermen blockade gates to Isahaya Bay land reclamation site

ISAHAYA, Japan - About 200 fishermen wearing headbands blockade several gates to the Isahaya Bay land reclamation site in Nagasaki Prefecture on Feb. 24 to protest at the state-run project, which they believe is the cause of the season's poor ''nori'' seaweed crop in the Ariake Sea.

Fukuoka Pref. inspects Ariake Sea over poor seaweed crop

Fukuoka Pref. inspects Ariake Sea over poor seaweed crop

FUKUOKA, Japan - An official of the Fukuoka prefectural government measures the direction and speed of the tidal current of the Ariake Sea some 3 kilometers off the city of Yanagawa on Feb. 17. The prefectural government inspected seaweed fishing grounds in the sea over local fishermen's allegations that a nearby land reclamation project is responsible for this season's poor crop of famed Ariake Sea nori.

Farm minister inspects Isahaya Bay over poor seaweed crop

Farm minister inspects Isahaya Bay over poor seaweed crop

NAGASAKI, Japan - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshio Yatsu (C) samples seaweed Jan. 29 in the Ariake Sea off Saga Prefecture in his inspection of the Isahaya Bay land reclamation site in Nagasaki Prefecture. He made his visit due to local fishermen's allegations that the project is responsible for this season's poor seaweed crop in the Ariake Sea.

Minister inspects Isahaya Bay over poor seaweed crop

Minister inspects Isahaya Bay over poor seaweed crop

ISAHAYA, Japan - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshio Yatsu (R) on Jan. 29 inspects the Isahaya Bay land reclamation site in Nagasaki Prefecture. Local fishermen claim that the reclamation project is responsible for this season's poor seaweed crop in the Ariake Sea.

Fishermen rally to demand gov't open Isahaya Bay dikes

Fishermen rally to demand gov't open Isahaya Bay dikes

ISAHAYA, Japan - Fishing boats gather off Isahaya Bay, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Jan. 28 for a rally to demand the government open dikes at the mouth of the bay closed in 1997 under a land reclamation project they believe responsible for damaged seaweed crops. Some 6,000 fishermen rallied in more than 1,000 boats in the Ariake Sea.

DPJ lawmakers inspect seaweed farms in Ariake Sea

DPJ lawmakers inspect seaweed farms in Ariake Sea

SAGA, Japan - Natoto Kan (far L), secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), tastes seaweed from a fishing net in the Ariake Sea off Saga Prefecture on Jan. 27. A group of DPJ lawmakers, headed by Kan, inspected seaweed farms in the Ariake Sea following allegations that a state-run land reclamation project had damaged large amounts of the crop.

Seaweed farming in Japan

Seaweed farming in Japan

Fishermen place nets sown with seaweed seeds at sea in Saga, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 26, 2022. Seed planting in the Ariake Sea started across three Japanese prefectures the same day.

Seaweed farming in Japan

Seaweed farming in Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows colorful seaweed nets in offshore waters in Saga, southwestern Japan, on Oct. 26, 2022. Seed planting in the Ariake Sea started across three Japanese prefectures the same day.