Abacus | China-Japan fish fight could make UK’s Cod War look like small fry

As Chinese fishing fleets encroach into Japanese waters, driven by overfishing and increased demand, anger over plates of sushi is growing at Tokyo’s raw deal for its fishermen

This could turn ugly – for more than 30 years Britain fought on the high seas in the Icelandic Cod Wars for the right to eat cod and chips

Reading Time:5 minutes

The Japanese coastguard apprehends a Chinese fishing boat (front) in its nearby waters. Photo: Japan Coastguard.

Published: 8:00am, 11 Jan 2021Updated: 9:04am, 11 Jan 2021

SAKANA, SAKANA, SAKANA!

When I first went to Japan as an “alien” in the 1980s, my British palate was confronted with all manner of strange food – and I reached the hasty conclusion that the Japanese couldn’t cook for toffee. As a young banker fresh off the boat I sought refuge in Indian restaurants or in one of the few affordable French and Italian places introduced by like-minded culinary hostages – the locals could at least boil spaghetti and had a ketchup-based sauce called “Napolitan”.

During my first stint in Japan, despite the massive differences in cuisine and a firm conviction that seaweed and sparrows shouldn’t be eaten, I came to the conclusion that the Japanese and the British were very much alike in many ways:

• They are an island nation that historically fell out with their neighbours. The animosity is shared as their neighbours dislike them accordingly.

• They drink an awful lot of beer and don’t hold back on a night out, roaring with laughter to jokes largely based on word play and puns which only locals can truly “get”.

• Fish is core to their diet and commands a nationalistic sentiment. Having sustained them during wartime, it is worth fighting for – something the British have shown during Brexit.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x