最後的漁民

河豚是一種有毒的海魚，但是把它的毒素去掉以後，郤是日本料理中一道極爲高級的菜肴。在日本河豚的最大産地山口縣下關市，到處可以看到人們爲這種可愛動物所建造的塑像。不過，由於近些年來的過度捕撈，包括河豚在內的所有魚類，數量都在急劇下降，嚴重威脅到當地漁民的生計。



下關市過去有一萬多漁民，現在只剩下三千名左右。年輕人中幾乎已經沒有人願意再從事這項古老的職業。也許，我們在這個日本海沿岸城市見到的這些人，就是當地最後一批具傳統意義的漁民了。

Fugu fish (Puffer Fish) is famous for being venomous. In Japan, however, it is equally famed for making splendidly delicious dishes after careful extraction of its deadly poison. Yamaguchi, the largest Fugu trading city in Japan, man-made images of this cute-looking fish can be seen everywhere. Yet, over catching in recent years has depleted the stock, not only of Fugu, but all other kinds of fish as well, gravely threatening the livelihood of local fishermen. The fishing population of Yamaguchi has dropped from over 10,000 to about 3,000. The hardworking, dignified fishermen are the vestige of a long-standing tradition.