Sardines at Umi-no-Eki Kujukuri Sardine Museum Overcrowded - Calls for Exhibit Abolishment

Umi no Eki Kujukuri, located near the sea in the town of Kujukuri, Chiba Prefecture, has a facility called the Sardine Museum Iwashi Siryoukan. As soon as you enter Umi-no-Eki’s kiosk, you will see an fish tank on the left, and the entrance to the museum is next to it. This tank was filled with sardines, which are kept in an incredibly overcrowded environment.

ARCJ have received a report, conducted an investigation, and have currently submitted questions and requests to the facility.

The sardine tank appears to have a width of about 3-4 meters, isn’t very deep, and seems to be around 2 meters in height. According to the museum’s website, there are 3,000 sardines in this tank. While sardines certainly exhibit group behavior, forming disciplined formations to protect themselves from external enemies, but they do not continuously circle the same place in an overcrowded and uncontrolled manner. Fish are sentient beings just like mammals. It is inappropriate to keep so keeping them in an environment like this tank, which is devoid of organic elements and is a square structure. Although not subject to penalties under the Animal Protection and Control Law, it is far from adhering to the basic principle of “caring for the ecology and behavior” of animals. The sardines will probably die in the tank, or when they become weak, they will be replaced by new sardines and “disposed of” in some way.

Questionnaire From the Animal Rights Center Japan

We are a citizens’ organization that has been working since 1987 to achieve peaceful coexistence with animals.

We received a report from a citizen who visited Umi no Eki Kujukuri that the sardines in the tank next to the entrance of your facilityi were too overcrowded.
After receiving the report, we came to take a look at the tank and found that it was extremely overcrowded, as reported.

Please answer the following questions.

What is the mortality rate of sardines in this tank?
How often are the sardines replaced or new sardines added to the tank?
What is the exact stocking density (volume and number of sardines)?
What is the protocol for handling sardines that become weakened or sick?

Our requests for improvements are as follows:

Please discontinue the live sardine exhibit and replace it with an exhibit that better shows the ecology of sardines in their natural habitat and the importance of biodiversity and the significance of the ocean.
Please reduce the stocking density of sardines until the request #1 is met. Also, enrichment should be provided to realize a more organic environment.

Please give us your response within two weeks.

Animal Rights Center Japan, NPO
1009 New Shibuya Corp. 12-3 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
tel 03-3770-0720
fax 03-4540-4049