【漁師ユーチューバー夫婦】サダトチャンネルを取材、絶妙なコンビネーションで漁業を盛り上げる【大分】

"Fisherman YouTubers" are boosting Oita's fishing industry. With over 30,000 subscribers, this popular couple in their 50s from Oita City, Oita Prefecture, is working to boost the local fishing industry. We spotlighted this couple, who are working to boost the local fishing industry. [Watch the in-depth video here] A miraculous big catch during a tense TV interview!    • 緊張のテレビ取材で奇跡の大漁！   Oita City fisherman Sadanori Ota and his wife, Miyako. On this August day, they set sail for their fishing spot at 5:00 AM. ◆Sadanori Ota "Every time, I'm both excited and anxious. With net fishing, there are always unexpected surprises, so you never know what's going to happen until you pull it up." The number of fishermen nationwide continues to decline. Looking at the prefecture, there were approximately 13,000 fishermen 50 years ago in 1975. By 2023, that number had fallen to just over 2,500, roughly one-fifth of that, and the lack of successors has become a long-standing issue. Given this background, at 52, Sadanori is the youngest of the 11 regular fishermen belonging to the Kanzaki Fisheries Cooperative. He previously ran a plumbing business in Oita City, but about 20 years ago, he jumped into the world of fishing, a field he had always been interested in, and began catching and shipping mainly filefish and scorpionfish using a method called 'tent net fishing', which involves setting nets in the fish's underwater path. ◆Sadanori Ota "It's rewarding. It's always nice to hear people say how delicious the fish are after catching them and taking them to market." ◆Miyako "It's fun. You never know what you'll catch (with net fishing)." The two work together on a boat, fishing. They may not seem particularly unusual, but the Otas have a unique side to them that other fishermen don't share. That's... They're also active as YouTubers, filming and sharing videos. In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At the time, fish sales were virtually nonexistent due to restaurant restrictions. At that time, they started streaming videos in the hopes of somehow increasing fish consumption. (Q: That must be tough. While fishing.) ◆ Sadanori Ota "I guess he does it because it's fun." ◆ Miyako "Maybe my husband doesn't like to compromise, so he's really particular about editing." The videos show the rare, candid side of fishermen, along with candid conversations between the couple. Miyako's cheerful personality has made her channel popular, with over 30,000 subscribers. Some videos, with meticulous attention to detail like the way the subtitles move, have been viewed over 580,000 times. ◆ Fellow Fisherman "Well, it's her personality. She has a cheerful personality, which is great." ◆ Fellow Fisherman "A lot of people on YouTube say she's funny. She's already popular. Hahaha." The two are popular in the community. Their continued streaming is also motivated by the hope that, as the population ages, more people will become interested in the work of fishing. ◆ Miyako "People often think fishermen are scary or unapproachable, but that's not the case." ◆ Ota Sadanori "I stream these videos because I know there are such interesting fishermen out there." ◆ Miyako "And if (people who watch our videos) decide they want to become fishermen and find a way to do so, we'll be happy." "YouTuber fisherman" Mr. and Mrs. Ota will continue to promote the prefecture's fishing industry from Kanzaki, Oita City. ◆ Ota Sadanori "Thank you for watching!" ◆ Miyako "It just doesn't seem right." ◆ Ota Sadanori "It just seems right." #OitaPrefecture #Oita #News