Sarubetsu River Salmon Capture Station

Absolutely spectacular! A school of salmon swimming up the river. In the Sarubetsu River, which flows through the middle of the town, one can observe schools of salmon swimming upstream to spawn from August to November every year. At a site approximately two kilometer downstream from central Makubetsu, the river is temporarily dammed to catch salmon for the sake of maintenance and to increase resources for hatching, rearing and releasing. Salmon are caught in a basket trap and scooped onto a worktable. After sorting males and females, a vehicle with a water tank transports the salmon to a hatchery. The workers sorting them demonstrate true craftsmanship.