Forests

Saving forests to protect coastal ecosystems: Japan sets historic example

Shigeatsu Hatakeyama at a tree-planting festival led by the NGO Mori wa Umi no Koibito in the Oh River watershed.

Japan's 'fish forests' highlight the relationship between forests and coastal seas. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt

Annelise Giseburt
Freelance Reporter, Mongabay
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Forests

The view from Oshima Island in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture.
The view from Oshima Island in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt

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A sign in Manazuru’s Ohayashi woodland shows that this is a legally designated 'fish forest'.
A sign in Manazuru’s Ohayashi woodland shows that this is a legally designated 'fish forest'. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
Manazuru’s 'fish forest' meets the Pacific Ocean.
Manazuru’s 'fish forest' meets the Pacific Ocean. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
Scallops at an aquaculture farm in Kesennuma.
Fishers strongly believe that a healthy watershed results in a healthy estuary. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt

Ocean-going fishing vessels line the dock in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture.
Ocean-going fishing vessels line the dock in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
The fish market at Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture
Fishers in Kesennuma have long been aware of the relationship between forest watershed health and marine health. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
A mural on the wall of Manazuru’s fish market.
A mural on the wall of Manazuru’s fish market. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
A tree-planting festival led by the NGO Mori wa Umi no Koibito in the Oh River watershed.
A tree-planting festival led by the NGO Mori wa Umi no Koibito in the Oh River watershed. Image: Mongabay/Mori wa Umi no Koibito.
A clear-cut next to a planted conifer forest in the Oh River watershed, which drains into Kesennuma Bay.
A clear-cut next to a planted conifer forest in the Oh River watershed, which drains into Kesennuma Bay. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt

Aquaculture in Kesennuma.
Japan’s population of 125.7 million is concentrated around its rivers. Image: Mongabay/Annelise Giseburt
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