So often I see two worlds at odds with one another, rightfully so, but there is a sliver of hope for these worlds to come together – and they need to, now more than ever.

Commercial fishing and marine conservation are often, particularly at a surface level in constant tension with one another. Our marine ecosystems are being put under pressure from a variety of factors, one being commercial fishing. Dredging and bottom-trawling are specifically two of the top contributors. It’s true that these techniques will lead to the continued destruction of our oceans if not stopped, but the conundrum lies in the fact that entire communities, cultures, and economies are still based around many of these practices.

That tension makes it all the more inspiring when a family tradition spanning generations begins to forge a new path, partnering with cutting-edge science to not only better understand their own practice, but also to protect the ocean they share with others.

This spirit of collaboration became realised when the Beneath the Waves team joined the Hasegawa family and researchers from Sokendai University to investigate the ocean depths off Japan’s coast.

Captain Hasegawa, 75, has spent his entire life mastering one trade: deep-sea fishing. While most fishermen in the region chase tuna, the Hasegawas cast their lines into the depths to harvest a diverse array of seafood. From local fame to appearances on Discovery shows, the family has earned a reputation as experts in a craft honed over generations.

His son Kazu is preparing to take the helm, armed with decades of family knowledge – the Hasegawas haven’t just dedicated themselves to this trade, it is who they are. It was then all the more remarkable to see how open-minded they were to the new wave of marine conservation science. Although calling it “new” may sound like a stretch, when set against practices rooted in millennia of culture, the word feels apt. And with people so rooted in these ways of life, it’s not uncommon to encounter resistance from fishermen when speaking of conservation.

Capt. Hasegawa and Kazu both seemed to acknowledge that times have changed. Understanding that new paths must be explored, the Hasegawas have welcomed researchers – including the Beneath the Waves team – to study their home waters.

Welcoming the opportunity to collaborate with the Hasegawas, the research team crossed the Pacific, bringing expertise in large elasmobranch tagging, deep-sea baited remote underwater video (dBRUVs), and other specialised techniques. Their goal was to document elusive deep-sea species while gathering critical data for biodiversity assessments, including investigating the biological and genetic characteristics of giant deep-sea isopods, shedding light on one of the ocean’s most mysterious realms.

Even with years of sampling and fieldwork under their belts, the BTWaves team relied on the Hasegawas’ decades of experience to navigate the unfamiliar waters and accomplish their research goals effectively.

The research team found Japan’s Suruga Bay to be an ideal setting for deep-sea exploration. Just off the small fishing town of Yaizu – renowned for its skipjack tuna fishery and celebrated locally by the mascot Yaichun – the bay lies beneath the shadow of Mt. Fuji, standing proud against the horizon. Beyond its scenic backdrop, Suruga Bay offers rapid access to an exceptionally steep continental shelf, dropping from nearshore waters to 700 metres in just a few nautical miles. While not as deep as something like the Mariana Trench, its dramatic topography allows scientists to study deep-sea species without embarking on an exhaustive ocean voyage, making long-term, repeatable research both efficient and, importantly, feasible.