Sanctuary to be set for rare fish in Yamanashi

Local authorities and fishermen will create a sanctuary in a lake near Tokyo where a rare fish has been discovered 70 years after it was declared extinct in Japan.

The decision was made on Wednesday after the Kunimasu, a subspecies of sockeye salmon, was confirmed to inhabit Lake Saiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Local officials and fisheries cooperatives agreed to make part of the lake a preserve for the fish after the end of December. That's when the fishing season closes for the Himemasu, a local specialty.

The Kunimasu was originally thought to live only in Lake Tazawa in the northern prefecture of Akita. The fish is believed to have become extinct there.

But a research group led by Professor Tetsuji Nakabo of the Kyoto University Museum examined fish found in Lake Saiko and determined that they were the Kunimasu.

Officials and the fishermen will meet the researcher next week to learn about the ecology of the fish and work out a specific plan on where in the lake fishing should be banned.

Lake Saiko is one of the 5 lakes at the foot of Mt Fuji.
It is said to be preserved in a relatively unspoiled condition.