the Eastern China Sea, it carries Jack Mackerel eggs and larvae to southern Japan and Honshu Island. These larvae are caught and then raised in aquaculture through adulthood and harvested. Other important fisheries include pollock, sardine, and anchovy. There are also many developing port cities along the Kuroshio Current. While the Kuroshio Current is historically known to support many fisheries where it meets with the Oyashio current, this region is still recovering from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami in 2011. This tsunami inundated more than 200 miles of Japan's coastline and drastically altered the sea level in some coastal areas by meters. It killed more than 18,500 people and set off a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant, releasing radiocesium into the surrounding waters. While local water bodies were the most severely affected, this radiocesium was transported as far as the entire North Pacific Ocean by the North Pacific Current which is formed by the collision of the Kuroshio and the Oyashio current. Local fisheries lost over 90% of their fleets and were unable to resume operations for up to a year after the accident. The local economy has been working to return to pre-tsunami levels but, even now, fishery yields have not reached nearly the levels they were before the accident. No catches are made within a 10 km radius to the accident cite and even catches outside of that zone are subject to inspection for radioactive materials, costing fisheries both time and money. Minamisanriku had most of the town's port and aquaculture facilities restored by 2014 and as of 2018, reconstruction of Iwate and Miyagi, the Japanese Prefectures, key infrastructure was near completion. Local Japanese fishing fleets hauled 5,928 tons of seafood product valued at over 2.21 billion yen (19.342 million U.S. dollars) in 2021. Changes in the Kuroshio Current and its warming conditions have impacted pilot whale migration. These animals are considered a delicacy but hunting is strictly regulated and transitions in migration timing is impacting those who depend on these animals as a source of income. Management practices must consider protecting these animals and recognizing the potential economic impacts on local hunters. References External links Current map of the Kuroshio Current Geography of Japan Currents of the Pacific Ocean