"There are oodles of high-quality fish off the coast of Fukushima," said Tadashi Watanabe, 56, a fisherman in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. "To strike back against damaging rumors, I want to create an unbeatable Fukushima brand."
　Watanabe was the captain of the Takusui, a research vessel in the prefecture's Research Institute of Fisheries Resources fleet. In March, he retired early and became a fisherman, working on the boat his father, Tomoe, 90, owns.
　Tadashi's eldest son, Yuto, 24, is also a fisherman.
　Three generations in one family are trying to revive the fisheries industry in the prefecture.

　「福島には良い魚が多くいる。どこにも負けないような福島ブランドをつくって風評をはね返したい」。福島県の水産資源研究所調査船「拓水」の船長を務めた渡辺忠さん（５６）＝いわき市＝は、３月に早期退職して漁師に転身し、父友江さん（９０）の船に乗り始めた。長男悠斗さん（２４）を含め、親子３代で本県水産業の復活に挑む。

　As captain of the Takusui, Tadashi's job was to conduct research on the marine resources and fishing sites off the coast of Fukushima.
　He was tasked with predicting catch volumes of fish species based on the growth status of young fish, such as Japanese flounder, and catches of fish, and then providing that information to local fisherman and other concerned parties.

　忠さんは「拓水」の船長として、県沿岸部の水産資源や漁場の調査を続けてきた。ヒラメやカレイなどの幼魚の成育状況や水揚げ量から漁獲高を予測し、漁業者に伝えることなどが仕事だ。

　Back then, Tadashi worked as a prefectural government official on weekdays and helped Tomoe on weekends. Although Tadashi had little leisure time, he always wanted to take over the family business someday.
　Then the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 2011, setting off an accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　After the nuclear disaster occurred, fishing resumed in the form of test operations, but damaging rumors were deep-rooted. Tomoe's work was affected, too.

　平日は県職員として働き、週末は友江さんを手伝った。休む暇はなかったが「いつかは家業を継ぎたい」という思いが常にあった。
　そんな中で、２０１１年３月に東日本大震災と東京電力福島第１原発事故が起きた。事故後、本県の漁業は「試験操業」の形で再開されたが、風評は根強く、影響は友江さんにも及んだ。

　Tadashi had an experience he will never forget. One day, his second son, who was an elementary school student at the time, asked him, "Why don't people buy grandpa's fish?" Tadashi had no answer. "I didn't know how to reply to him," Tadashi said.

　忠さんには忘れられない経験がある。「なんでじいちゃんの魚は売れないの？」。当時小学生だった次男からの質問に言葉が詰まった。「何と返せばいいか分からなかった」

　Damaging rumors persist to this day. "I sometimes think that Fukushima Prefecture's fisheries industry may not survive," he said.
　Despite that sentiment, as someone in the local fisheries industry, Tadashi worked hard on his research, hoping to improve the situation somehow.

　その後も、長引く風評に「福島の漁業はもうおしまいなのかなと思ったこともあった」。それでも漁業に携わる者として、少しでも状況を好転させたいと調査に全力を尽くしてきた。

　Why does he go out to sea in the face of such daunting circumstances?
　"It's my spirit, dang it!" Tadashi replied. Tomoe had taught him to be gritty.
　His future may be unclear, but, "I feel that I will be rewarded someday if I continue," Tadashi said.

　なぜ今、苦境にある海に出るのか。「なにくそ根性だね」と忠さん。これは、友江さんの教えでもある。はっきりとした将来が描けているわけではない。でも「続けていればいつか報われる気もするんだ」。

　Ever since he became a professional fisherman, Tadashi has placed importance on the concept of "seeing the faces of the fishing industry."
　While helping his father do commercial fishing on weekdays and skipper a boat for fishing enthusiasts on weekends, Tadashi began to notice the joyful smiles of customers on the boat.
　"If smiles spread nationwide through our teaching people how to fish and how to cook tasty fish dishes, damaging rumors will gradually disappear," he said.

　漁師になったら大切にしたいことがある。「顔の見える漁業」だ。平日は漁業、休日は釣り船を営む友江さんを手伝う中で見えてきたのは、釣り船に乗る人の楽しそうな笑顔だった。「釣り方やおいしい食べ方を教えることで全国に笑顔が広がれば、風評は少しずつなくなる」。忠さんはそう信じている。

　In addition, Tadashi thinks that "fishermen should imagine the faces of the people who eat their fish." In his mind's eye, he pictures fish he caught being placed on dining tables and therefore treats every fish
　"It may be just a small difference in my sentiment," Tadashi said. "But the accumulated efforts help to create a Fukushima brand."
This year marks the 36th year Tadashi has plied his trade on the sea. Tying together the lessons learned from his father and getting back to the basics as a fisherman, Tadashi is embarking upon a new path.

（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　「漁師は食べる人の顔を想像しなければならない」とも考えている。取った魚が食卓に並ぶ姿を思い浮かべ、1匹ずつ丁寧に扱って市場に出す。「気持ちの上での小さな違いかもしれない。でも、その努力の積み重ねが福島ブランドをつくるはずだ」。海に生きて今年で３６年目。父の教えと、漁師としての"初心"とともに、忠さんの新たな挑戦が始まる。

　【　２０２２年３月６日付・福島民友新聞掲載　】