FISH FALLING FROM THE SKY

SMED 11

Since Friday the world has been glued to television sets, social media networking, printed media and other communication channels in an effort to acquire first-hand information on one of the worst earthquakes that has hit Japan.  The 8.9-magnitude earthquake, followed by the tsunami which struck off the coast of north-eastern Japan, near the city of Sendai,  played out to millions of global viewers.   One could not help but ask the question : Has our weather gone completely out of control? First Christchurch, New Zealand, and now the awful devastation in Sendai, Japan

Watching the tragedy unfold whereby 10 metre waves swallowed everything in its path - vehicles, boats, houses, trees -  I wondered about the marine life.  Some of the images, i.e  a massive ship being lifted by the tsunami and deposited in a town in Miyagi prefecture;   Zapiro’s pen sketch in the Sunday Times of 13 March 2011 labeled  ‘After Hokusai’s  “The Great Wave,” had me wondering about the displacement of the marine life and it certainly reminded me of the expression, ‘ fish falling from the sky.’

 There are many documented cases of the ‘raining’ fish, frogs or toads phenomena.  In most cases the ‘raining’ of afore-mentioned is attributed to severe storms, tornadoes, water spouts and related phenomena. It is believed that strong winds pick up the fish from a shallow body of water and carries them - sometimes for many kilometres - before dropping them.  A similar scenario played out in Japan on Friday.  

Are there any lessons to be learnt from the fish falling from the sky/displacement phenomena? History has many recorded instances of people and communities being displaced, whether by natural disasters, forced removals, changes in financial situations, immigrations, war, etc.  Nature provides us with the perfect example of the role wind plays in pollination or  contributing towards a new  habitat for plants, flowers and trees.

Despite the awful devastation which was beyond everyone’s expectation, media reports allude to the fact that if it was the earthquake alone, Japan would have been ok.  Their strict building regulations allow for buildings to sway with earthquake tremors.

 The Japanese community of Sendai, in the same way as ‘ fish falling from the sky’, have been severely displaced.  Rescue operations will soon turn to recovery.  As Carl Gustav Jung said, ‘I do not believe … I know’  that with the collective financial aid and support of countries across the world, Japan will be back on its feet within two to three years.  I too do not believe … I know  that out of this natural disaster, new technological opportunities related to improved extreme weather pattern warnings, will arise.