#9: ドバイ発ラクダのミルク入りチョコ、日本進出も視野

ドバイ発ラクダのミルク入りチョコ、日本進出も視野
Dubai produces camel milk chocolate, plans to expand to Japan
2009年 07月 22日 13:38 JST

　［ドバイ　２１日　ロイター］　ラクダの乳を使用したチョコレートを世界で初めて作ったドバイのアル・ナスマが２１日、中東諸国や欧州、米国、日本への進出を計画していることを明らかにした。

The world's first producer of chocolate made using camel milk, Dubai's Al Nassma, disclosed on the 21 July that they plan to expand to the Middle East, Europe, USA and Japan.

　同社のマーティン・バン・アルムジック氏によると、まずサウジアラビアで販売し、数カ月以内にバーレーンやカタール、クウェート、米国の市場にも進出する計画。英老舗百貨店「ハロッズ」や、サンフランシスコのチョコレート専門店とも販売の交渉を進めており、チョコ需要の高い日本に出店することも模索中だという。

According to the company's Martin Van Almsick, first they will market to Saudi Arabia, within a few months they plan to expand into markets in Bahrain, Qatar, Quwait and USA. Negotiations are also progressing for selling in the long-established English department store, Harrods, and in specialist chocolate stores in San Francisco. They are exploring the possibility of opening a branch office in Japan where the demand for chocolate is high.

　昨年１０月に設立された同社は、ラクダのミルク入り高級チョコレートを年間１００トン生産することを目指している。飼育するラクダの数は３０００頭。牧場に併設された店舗でチョコレートを販売しているほか、高級ホテルや民間航空会社の機内でも取り扱いがある。

The company, which was established in October last year, is aiming to produce 100 tons of high grade camel milk chocolate each year. The number of camels being raised is 3,000. Apart from the chocolate sold at the shop established on the farm, they also service luxury hotels and in-flight snacks on private airlines.

　商品には保存料や化学的な添加物が使用されておらず、地元で人気の様々なスパイスやナッツ類、はちみつなどが使われているという。

It was said that the product is free from preservatives and chemical additives, and various locally popular spices, nuts, honey etc. are added.

#8: 今年もか！長崎・対馬沖で大量のエチゼンクラゲ

今年もか！長崎・対馬沖で大量のエチゼンクラゲ
This year too? A large number of Nomura jellyfish in the sea around Tsushima, Nagasaki.
2009年7月8日09時15分 読売新聞

　網に入り込むなど漁業に深刻な打撃を与えるエチゼンクラゲが長崎・対馬沖で大量に見つかり、巨大化した群れが３年ぶりに鳥取県沖に流れてくる恐れが高まったとして、鳥取県は７日、各漁協や境海上保安部を交えた緊急の対策会議を開いた。

Large numbers of Nomura (also known as Echizen) jellyfish, which cause serious damage to the fishing industry by entering nets etc., have been discovered in the sea near Nagasaki. There is rising fear that, for the first time in 3 years, that an enormous group will drift into the sea near Tottori prefecture, so on 7 July both the prefecture fishery cooperative and the Sakai marine preservation department joined together for a meeting to discuss emergency counter-measures.

　過去には網を揚げようとした底引き網漁船がクラゲの重みで転覆する被害も起きているが、被害防止の“決定打”は見つかっていない。漁業者は「昨年の燃油高に続いて、今度はクラゲか」と戦々恐々としている。

In the past, trawlers, having started to haul up their nets, have capsized due to the weight of the jellyfish. However, no "sure-fire" way has been found to prevent this damage. A fisherman, filled with trepidation, said "Continuing on from last year's fuel price rise, this year we have jellyfish?"

　この日の会議には、漁協関係者や県水産試験場の職員、鳥取海上保安署長ら約２０人が出席。県の担当者が、対馬沖で今月、傘の直径が１５〜３０センチのエチゼンクラゲが多い日には約２０００匹確認されていることを報告した。海流に乗って鳥取県沖では８、９月には大量漂流が続く恐れがあり、その頃には８０〜１００センチ、重さ１００〜２００キロにまで成長しているという。

At today's meeting there were representatives from the fishery cooperative, employees from the marine products laboratory, the chief of the Tottori prefecture marine preservation department and others, in all about 20 people attended. The person in charge reported that this month, in the sea around Tsushima, it was confirmed that on some days there were up to 2,000 Nomura jellyfish with heads 15 to 30cm in diameter. There is a fear that, after riding the ocean current, in the sea off Tottori prefecture in August and September there will be a large number drifting about. By that time, they will have grown to 80 - 100 cm and weigh 100-200kg.

　エチゼンクラゲは前回、０５、０６年に大量発生。県内でも定置網漁が大打撃を受け、県沖合底曳(そこびき)網漁協の生越日出夫会長は「底引き網漁でも、クラゲのいない海域を探すのに一苦労。網を揚げてもクラゲを取り除くのに時間がかかり、魚も傷んで漁にならんかった」と振り返る。

The last time there was an outbreak of large numbers of Nomura jellyfish was in 2005/06. The fixed fishing nets in the prefecture also incurred serious damage. The prefecture Coastal Trawler Cooperative president, Mr Hideo Namakashi, looking back on that time, said that "Even for fishing trawlers, it was difficult to search for an area of sea which did not have jellyfish. Even if the nets could be raised, it took time to remove the jellyfish, the fish were damaged, so it did not amount to a catch".

　０２年８月には、岩美町沖で底引き網にクラゲが大量に入り、重みで小型漁船が転覆、船長が海に投げ出され、約４時間後に救助される事故も起きた。

In August 2002 in the sea near Iwami village an accident occurred where, a large number of jellyfish were in a trawlers net, the weight made the small boat capsize, the captain was thrown into the sea and it took about 4 hours for him to be rescued.

　会議では、ワイヤで編んだ網を２隻の船で引き、クラゲを切断したり、定置網に魚を誘導する網の目を大きくし、クラゲをすり抜けさせたりする対策も紹介された。

At the meeting several counter-measures were introduced, to slice the jellyfish by pulling a net made from wire between two boats, or to guide the fish into a fixed net, then make the mesh of the net larger and let the jellyfish slip through.

　しかし、ワイヤの網は作業で船体を傷めるほか、駆除目的の航行となるため燃油負担が大きいのが難点。目の大きい改良網も、結局は漁獲が減るため、普及が進みにくいという。

However, apart from the wire net damaging the boat's hull when in use, a weakness of the cruise designed to exterminate the jellyfish would be the large fuel costs. Also, an improved net with large mesh would, after all, reduce the catch, so it was said that it would be difficult to progress its uptake.

　大量発生の原因は、中国の経済発展に伴う東シナ海の富栄養化などが指摘されているが、よく分かっていない。県水産課は「改良網の普及支援や処理費の補助で漁業者の負担を減らしたい」としている。

The cause of the outbreak is not well understood, but it is pointed out that China's economic development has led to increases in chemical nutrients, and the like, in the East China Sea. The prefecture fisheries department is "supporting the spread of improved nets and by assisting with processing costs wants to reduce the burden on fishermen".

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#7: 風船に婚約指輪を忍ばせた男性、風で指輪ごと失う

風船に婚約指輪を忍ばせた男性、風で指輪ごと失う
Man who hid engagement ring in balloon, loses it in gust of wind.
2008年 03月 16日 14:18 JST

［ロンドン　１４日　ロイター］　恋人にプロポーズしようとしたロンドン在住の男性（２８）が、婚約指輪をヘリウムガスの入った風船の中に隠したところ、突風で風船が飛ばされ、指輪ごと失ってしまうという出来事があった。

A 28 year old London man having decided to propose to his sweetheart, hid the engagement ring inside a helium filled balloon, whereupon a sudden gust of wind cause the balloon to fly off. This reported incident resulted in the ring being lost.

　男性は、１４日付の地元紙に「空高く上っていくのをただ見ているしかなかった」とコメント。「大枚をはたいたのに、大間抜けだ。ガールフレンドにこてんぱんに批判されることも分かっていた」と語った。

The man commented in the local newspaper on the 14th March that "I could only watch as it flew high up into the sky". He also said "even though I had paid a lot of money for it, I was a big idiot. I also knew my girlfriend would give me a severe tongue lashing over this".

　予定では、女性にピンを渡して風船を割って指輪を見つけてもらい、プロポーズの言葉を伝えるはずだった。男性は「起こったことを話さざるを得ず、彼女はかんかんで、新しい指輪を買うまで口も利いてくれない」としている。

His plan was supposed to be that he would hand her a pin, she would pop the balloon, discover the ring and then he would propose to her. The man "had to tell her what had happened, she was very angry and she is not talking to me until I buy her a new ring".

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#6: オタマジャクシ：空から大量に 石川で奇妙な現象相次ぐ

オタマジャクシ：空から大量に　石川で奇妙な現象相次ぐ
Tadpoles: large numbers fall from the sky, a strange phenomenon continues in Ishikawa.
(毎日 新聞　2009年6月9日　19時34分)

石川県内で今月に入り、空からオタマジャクシが大量に降ったとみられる現象が相次いでいる。
In Ishikawa prefecture at the beginning of this month, the strange phenomenon of large numbers of tadpoles falling from the sky could be seen occurring one after another.

魚が竜巻に巻き上げられるケースは報告されているが、今回は竜巻が発生するような気象条件になく、関係者は首をかしげている。
There have been reported cases of fish being sucked up in waterspouts, however this time the weather conditions have not been suitable for producing waterspouts and so the authorities are scratching their heads.

同県七尾市の中島市民センターの駐車場で４日午後４時３５分ごろ、男性職員が地面や車の上に体長２～３センチのオタマジャクシ約１００匹が散らばって死んでいるのを見つけた。
In the same prefecture in Nanao city's Nakashima Citizen Center car park, at about 4:35pm on the 4th of the month, a male staff member found about 100 dead tadpoles 2-3cm long scattered about on the ground and on top of cars.

風は弱く、職員は「バタバタ」という音で気付いたという。
It was said that the wind was gentle and the staff member noticed a sound like "bata bata".

６日午前７時半ごろには、同県白山市の民家周辺でも約４０匹が見つかった。
On the 6th of the month at about 7.30am, 40 were discovered around a private home in Hakusan city in the same prefecture.

この家に住む石川信子さん（７５）は「つぶれたのもあり、周りは水でぬれていなかった。キツネにつままれた気分」と話した。
Nobuko Ishikawa (75), who lives in the house, said "some were smashed, it was not wet around the area. I felt as though I was being tricked".

いずれも水田に近い場所。金沢地方気象台によると、両日とも曇りで竜巻が起こる気象条件にはなかったという。
Both places were close to water filled rice fields. According to the Kanazawa region meteorological observatory both days were cloudy and so the weather conditions were not said to be suitable for the occurrence of waterspouts.

「巻き上げられたとしても、オタマジャクシだけでなく、同じ体積のゴミなどが一緒に降って来るはずだが」と首をかしげる。
"Even if sucked up, it should not have only been tadpoles, but similar sized rubbish and the like, should also have rained down" it was reported doubtfully.

一方で、鳥が落とした可能性も指摘されている。同県の加賀市鴨池観察館によると、サギやカラスがオタマジャクシを食べ、ひなにえさをやる時や敵が近づいた時に吐くこともあるという。
On the other hand, it was pointed out that is was possible that a bird may have dropped the tadpoles. According to the duck pond observatory in Kaga city in the same prefecture, heron and crows eat tadpoles and when they are feeding them to their young or when their enemies get close they vomit them up.

しかし「軟らかいオタマジャクシは消化が速く、原形のまま出てくるのは考えにくい」と話している。
However "soft tadpoles are digested quickly, so it is difficult to believe they would come out in their original form" they said.

by【澤本麻里子】
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