Giant Jellyfish Sink Trawler

Video could heighten tension over September incident

(NEWSER) - Video of a September maritime crash that has made political waves appeared on YouTube today, potentially escalating tensions between China and Japan, AFP reports. The video shows what appears to be the Chinese fishing boat at the heart of the conflict sailing, then changing course and hitting a Japanese vessel. Until now, video footage had been shown only to Japan’s prime minister. More»

The story of rare earth minerals has many lessons, writes Paul Krugman

(NEWSER) - When Japan detained a Chinese fishing boat captain whose vessel had collided with two of its Coast Guard ships, China cut off its access to rare earths, the essential minerals on which China has a near-monopoly. For Paul Krugman, this highlights two concerns: First, that the US let “unreliable” China get “a stranglehold on key materials”; second, that new economic superpower China isn’t ready for the role, he writes in the New York Times . More»

(USER SUBMITTED) - The biggest Sino-Japanese row in years looks to be coming to an end. Japan will release Chinese fishing boat captain Zhan Qixiong after two weeks in detention, the BBC reports. Zhan was detained by Japanese authorities on suspicion of ramming two patrol vessels near disputed islands in the East China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. China reacted angrily to the arrest, calling it "illegal and invalid." More»

Superstitious worry as deep-sea dweller begins surfacing

(NEWSER) - Dozens of sightings of a very rarely seen fish have raised Japanese fears that their country may be the next one rocked by a major quake. The appearance of oarfish—which can grow to up to 16 feet long and frequent depths of up to 3,300 feet—is considered an omen of an impending earthquake, according to Japanese lore. They have been washing up on beaches and appearing in fishing nets in numerous locations around the country in recent weeks. More»

Even the once-shunned are now overfished

(NEWSER) - Don't like the sound of slimefish fillets? How about some orange roughy instead? Efforts to "rebrand" ugly, unpopular types of fish to make them more palatable to consumers have been successful—too successful, the Washington Post reports. Many species once considered "trash fish" have become dangerously depleted as fishermen run out of popular fish and strategize to make others more marketable, says a new report on the ocean's fish. More»