LOSS OF AND DAMAGE TO SCALLOPS DUE TO STORMS IN THE SEA OF OKHOTSK

In the coastal zone of the Sea of Okhotsk off Hokkaido, Japan, the gia nt ezo scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) is widely cultivated on the s ea bed, making its fishery a major industry. However, the area experie nces intense cyclones, including typhoons, about once a decade and the scallop resources appear to have received severe damage from the stor ms. Such an event occurred on 29 October 1988. The storm caused 12-m-h igh wind waves, which appeared to be fully developed sea waves. The wa ter above the sea bed repeatedly moved back and forth at speeds of 1 s imilar to 2 m s(-1) causing damage to the scallops due to collisions a nd rubbing with gravel and other scallops. From a comparison of wind d ata with the annual catch of scallops, intense cyclones seem to play a n important role on the year-to-year fluctuations in the scallop fishe ry.