Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security
Rapid rise of the Nomura’s Jellyfish off the Chinese coast gives hypothetical reason to blame China for a Japanese coastal epidemic. Toxic waters off China’s coast increase the zooplankton food supply that the jellyfish thrive on. The Chinese might be seen as effectively invading Japan by incubating hordes of Nomura’s Jellyfish. Billions now cover the Japanese western coast line; up to fifty percent with seasonal increases.
China solved the jellyfish population explosion by simply eating them. They have been doing so for thousands of years. But Japan considers the jellyfish detestable; in spite of eating a vast number of exotic sealife. Some brave fishermen and restaurants have tried to create tasty recipes that attract public consumption but the trick will be making them popular enough and demand high enough to beat the multiplication and migration rate.
What’s the big deal?
The giant jellyfish are destroying the Japanese fish market, requiring them to go farther out, away from the coast and try in more promising waters. This leads to more clashes with other state territories nearby. Most importantly, however, is that they are literally surrounding the main islands. Japanese scientists strive to come up with a more scientific way to prevent the assault to the fish supply that feeds millions.
For a conspiracy theory or even an opportune Chinese strategist, it might appear the perfect weapon to send out towards Japan. And if the Chinese did not intentionally do so, it almost appears that they unconsciously have been doing this. Or even that one military strategist might get the idea to increase the population at an even greater rate, as well as migration eastbound. And if not just increasing their number and shipping them to their rival, is it possible that they will one day genetically engineer them?
Could a state engineer an invasive species to an unsuspecting neighbor that seemingly stole its territory? It is hardly Godzilla, but they are venomous destructive beast by the numbers. Such an invasion from the sea, with or without a real culprit, could render the Japanese food industry and the waters for everyone an incredible wasteland where the present tens of billions into hundreds of billions. Just several years ago the populations was in the hundred millions.
What is worse, Japan might eventually become a breeding location, rather than an annual migration pattern. On the other hand, Japanese scientists have claimed that overfishing is the result of the impact as far as it relates to Japan and not so much China. But they also indirectly blame China and the whole world by mainly accepting the increase of the jellyfish population on climate change.
Genetically engineering a counter-agent prey or breeding certain predatory fish species that can neutralize the Nomura’s Jellyfish might be the perfect solution- one in which Japanese scientists are investigating. This then could hypothetically become a modern silent style war between two rival powers that have highly advanced GE capabilities.
Still, could a maritime clandestine biotech war between China and Japan in particular already be in the making?
How do you stop the jellyfish epidemic without polluting your seas when they can multiply by the thousands? How will nations prepare for possible deliberate hostilities in the future that might go unnoticed or could be used to blackmail the other state as an aggressor? What would the appropriate response or the diplomatic controls be?
How difficult would it be to uncover the possible saboteur of this kind or scope and could such an act be made to look accidental?
Notes: National Geographic “Monster Jellyfish” series; programmed aired 12/26/13.