BY TORU ISHII, ASAHI SHIMBUN SENIOR WRITER
OGASAWARA--A spear-toting turtle hunter is aiming to conserve the long-lived sea creatures he captures for food.
Osamu Toji, 47, is determined to pass down the Ogasawara islands' traditional method of catching sea turtles, which are on the Environment Ministry's Red List of species near extinction. Though most of the turtles he catches end up in local stew pots, Toji is also dedicated to conserving the species.
"I pay attention (to how many I catch) so the turtle population won't decrease. I like these creatures," Toji said.
He dives without breathing equipment, carrying only a 5-meter spear.
On a recent outing, he spotted a pair of green sea turtles in the cobalt blue near the Ogasawara islands. The pair were locked together in a mating dance.
Toji slipped into the water, holding his breath as he sank about 10 meters down toward the pair. He ran his spear through the shell of each to separate them.
Skillfully binding their front flippers with rope, he began to haul them up toward his boat, the Gyoten Maru. At the surface, he lashed the 105-kilogram male and 139-kg female to the side. The whole process took about an hour.
Turtle meat has traditionally been a delicacy in these islands, situated about 1,000 kilometers, or a 25-hour ferry ride, south-southwest of Tokyo.
Turtles were traditionally caught by skin divers, and, according to some sources, conservation of their numbers had long been a priority.
Records show that in the Edo Period (1603-1867), each fisherman was allowed to catch 29 or fewer turtles each season. Violators were given a whipping.
However, starting in the early Meiji Era (1868-1912), turtle numbers began to sharply drop after about 3,000 turtles per year were caught.
By the time World War II began, the catch had dwindled to 100 turtles or fewer per year.
Regulations introduced in 1995 by the Tokyo metropolitan government placed a cap of 135 per year.
In this year's turtle hunting season from March to May, 112 turtles were caught by island divers. Toji caught 46.
He gave 10 females to the Ogasawara Marine Center, which is operated by the nonprofit Everlasting Nature of Asia group.
The center has been working toward sea turtle conservation for the past 25 years.
Its methods include artificial incubation of eggs and release of turtle hatchlings into the sea. The group tries to increase their chances of survival by raising the baby turtles for about six months to a year before releasing them.
Female sea turtles are thought to return to the beach where they were hatched to lay their own eggs after 20 to 30 years.
According to the center, in 1980, the Chichijima islands had about 100 egg-laying sites on its beaches. That number has increased since 1990 to anywhere from 200 to 1,200 sites.
"I think that our longtime efforts are finally paying off," Manami Yamaguchi, chief of the Ogasawara Marine Center, said.
In January, the Ogasawara island chain was added to Japan's Tentative List of sites to be considered for addition to UNESCO's World Natural Heritage sites.
According to the Environment Ministry, the turtle hunt "will not be detrimental to the registration as a World Natural Heritage site, as long as the catch is conducted with traditional fishing methods and in a sustainable manner."
Meanwhile, island eatery menus still boast, "Fresh turtle meat served here."
The dishes are popular, say local residents. Turtle sashimi tastes light and slightly sweet. Turtle stew is rich and contains a lot of collagen.
Still, Toji says he won't increase his catch simply to feed people's appetites.(
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