CAPE  COD –  A man caught a giant bluefin tuna and five hours later, the U.S. Government seized it because of a regulation violation.

Carlos Rafael isn’t happy.  He caught the tuna of his life and then the feds  came in and took it.  He is also going to serve jail time in a federal penitentiary.

Rafael captured a giant bluefin tuna in the waters near Cape Cod and hoped to the sell the fish and net about $396,000, which is what a 745-pound tuna specimen sold for at an auction in Tokyo back in January.

Rafael’s catch was 881 pounds.

But Rafael received a rude awakening when his boat sought shelter in Provincetown Harbor on November 12

“The authorities were waiting. Agents from the Department of Homeland Security informed him they were confis­cating his fish — all 881 pounds of it.

Even though the catch had been declared and the boat had a tuna permit, the rules do not allow fishermen to catch bluefin tuna in a net.

‘They said it had to be caught with rod and reel,’ a frustrated Rafael said. ‘We didn’t try to hide anything. We did everything by the book. Nobody ever told me we couldn’t catch it with a net.”

In any case, after being towed for more than two hours in the net, the fish was already dead when the Apollo hauled back its gear, he said.”

Rafael told the Times that he purchased 15 tuna permits for his groundfish boats over the last four years and immediately called a bluefin tuna hot line maintained by fishery regu­lators to report the catch when it happened. Rafael’s crew had unwittingly captured the giant tuna in their trawl gear rather than rod and reel.

“What are we supposed to do?” Rafael told the Times. “I think I’m going to surrender all my tuna permits now. What good are they if I can’t catch them?”

A representative for the Obama Administration said the fish has been forfeited and will be sold on consignment overseas. Proceeds from the sale of the fish will give to President Obama’s re-election campaign.

A least Carlos was allowed one phone call before being taken to jail.

Take a look at this video from just last year.  Carlos wasn’t happy with the feds even then.

WWN Japanese Reporter takes footage inside Tokyo Apple Store during the earthquake.

If you thought it was harrowing trying to get an iPad2, check our exclusive footage of the Tokyo Apple store during the quake.  Supplied by our Japanese bureau.

Donate to help Japanese Earthquake victims.

Visit WWN Japan. Dr. Taxi is the head if our intrepid bureau.

OSAKA -  The Japanese have developed a new military ship…. The Zipper Boat.

The Japanese recently introduced a  new state-of-the-art maritime self-defense ship called The Zipper Boat.   Japanese naval engineers have been developing the ship for the last ten years.

“It looks deceptively simple,” said U.S. Navy Commander, Robert Rinderman, “but it’s actually the most sophisticated Naval ship developed since 1980.”

The ship was designed to look like a zipper so that attacking naval ships would overlook it as some sort of gimmick.  It was also built to discourage pirates from trying to come aboard.  “The ship is basically pirate-proof,” said Rinderman.   Apparently, if someone  tries to board the ship, the zipper quickly slides down and slams itself against the heads of the attacking individuals or teams.

The Zipper Boat zips through the water at speeds up to 175 knots.   The Zipper can ride low in the water or ride high on top of the water.   In tests last year, sometimes the zipper got stuck in the “down” position, but Japanese engineers fixed it and now it is all zipped up.

The Japanese have had a treaty with the United States for the last 50 years, with the U.S. agreeing to defend Japan if they were ever attacked in Asia.   But now, with The Zipper Boat, the U.S. Navy might not be needed.  “We hope to make over 5,000 Zipper Boats by the end of the year,” said Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa.   “With the Z-boats, we will no longer need any help from the U.S. Navy to defend ourselves.”

The Zipper Boat will be operated by Japanese Robot Sailors, all female.  “We trust female robots more than male robots,” said robotic engineer, Taka Uzeko.

Here’s a video of The Zipper Boat in action:

TOKYO – Fisherman who were carrying out their annual dolphin hunt captured a dolphin that had human arms!

Fishermen at the Japanese town made famous by the controversial Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove” shrugged off protests by animal rights activists on Tuesday to carry out their annual dolphin hunt.

They were shocked with one of the first dolphin’s that they captured — it  had human arms!!

Japanese broadcaster TBS said the first hunt of the season in the town of Taiji took place on Tuesday, without mentioning how many dolphins were involved.

They said 14 dolphins were killed, while another six — mothers and calves — were spared, at least temporarily.  There was no news as to whether the dolphin with human arms (nicknamed Luka) was killed.

Western activists were chanting, “Mama dolphin, baby dolphin. No!” at the time Luka was discovered.  Actually, the activists were the first to notice because Luka started clapping along to the chant – using his human hands.

“It was incredible.  The Japanese fishermen pulled Luka into the boat and he punched a few of them with his human fist,”  said Rainbow Williams, an activist from San Francisco.  “Luka has a strong punch and I think he knocked out two or three fisherman with his punches.”

It became something of a brawl between the quick-jabbing dolphin and the Japanese fishermen.  But they eventually threw a net over Luka’s head and subdued him with a tranquilizing dart.

Activists tried to get involved in the fray but the Japanese fishermen held them off with gunshots over their heads.

What will the Japanese fisherman do with Luka?

“We will be bringing Luka to a marine biology research center in Osaka.  We will keep him safe and study him there.”

“Bullshit!!  They are going to kill him,” said Williams.  “We need to free Luka.  Free Luka!  Free Luka!”  There are hundreds of protesters outside the research facility waiting for the Japanese to release Luka – but it doesn’t seem like it will be happening anytime soon.

Japan has long maintained that killing dolphins is not banned under any international treaty and that the animals are not endangered, adding that dolphins need to be culled to protect fishing grounds.

Free Luka!!!

TOKYO – A 511-pound tuna sold for a record-breaking $175,000 in Tokyo’s famous fish market!

Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market is known worldwide as the top place to buy fish. It is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market on the planet!

Over 400 different types of seafood are sold there, with an average yearly value of sales at $5.5 billion.

It came as no surprise that a 511-pound tuna finally broke the sale record, at $175,000! Almost four times the weight of an average Japanese man, the tuna was caught off the northern tip of the main island Honshu, where many prize fish are found.

It was bought jointly by two Tokyo restaurants and an entrepreneur from Hong Kong, to be divided up after the sale. It is the biggest sale since the previous 2001 record, when a 440-pound tuna sold for $220,000.

Fish vendors were celebrating, as tuna consumption in Japan has declined due to the recession and concern over dwindling tuna stocks.

TOKYO – A fishing boat off the coast of Japan was capsized by jellyfish!

The Daisan Shinsho-maru, a 9.85 ton trawler, was fishing for Nomura’s jellyfish off the coast of the Chiba prefecture last Friday.

Nomura’s jellyfish is a jellyfish specific to Japan’s waters. It is best known for it’s size, with some growing up to 6 feet 7 inches in diameter!

The jellyfish can also weigh up to 450 pounds each, which would explain how the Daisan capsized.

As the ship neared a lighthouse, it began to lose its balance. The boat was dragging a net holding a large number of jellyfish, easily putting their weight well above that of the vessel’s.

It finally capsized, leaving the captain, Takashi Otsuka, and two crew members, to tread water until another ship rescued them.

The population of jellyfish has actually exploded in recent years, forcing Japan to try and kill them in mass quantities or catch them for certain industries, like cooking or for use as collagen.

TOKYO – To celebrate the release of Windows new operating system, Japanese Burger Kings are unveiling the Windows 7 Whopper!

Windows 7 is the latest version of Microsoft Windows operating system, released only three years after the poorly-received Windows Vista.

Microsoft has engaged in aggressive marketing campaigns across the world to get people excited about the new system, especially since Apple has become a serious competitor for personal computers.

Burger King stores in Japan are exclusively selling the Windows 7 Whopper, which expands the commonplace Whopper dramatically. At over five inches in height, the burger includes seven beef patties!

To build on the #7 theme, the first 30 customers of each day will receive the Windows 7 Whopper for only 777 yen, about $8.50 American. After that, it will be sold for double the price, 1,450 yen.

Japan isn’t the only country getting special treatment. Microsoft also conducted a promotion in the Netherlands, where they gave our free copies of the system to residents of the village Zevenhuizen, which translates in English to “Seven Houses.”

Would you dare to try the Whopper?

TOKYO – This year’s Japan’s Fashion Week featured not just new clothes, but an entirely new kind of super model!

Japan’s annual Fashion Week is known for it’s innovative designs and trends. This year, Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology debuted their own revolutionary redesign – of the model herself!

TOKYO – A group of Japanese children are convinced a zombie is attacking their home… so they fight back!

Three Japanese kids are tricked into believing a zombie is coming to get them. But they don’t get scared, they get mean.

TOKYO – A number of Japanese citizens have become afflicted with what can only be described as a reanimation.

Residents from across the country, mostly in major cities, have begun to appear partially drawn in the animé tradition.

Some have noticed only a faint glow at their extremities, while others have awoken to find half their bodies illustrated.  At the current rate of incidence, live action Japanese life is at risk for survival.

“It’s like I’m half-me, half-Sailor Moon,” said teenager Kyoko Uki, one of the victim’s of the blight.  “I’m not sure how to feel.  I like Sailor Moon, but one of my eyes is huge.”

Others have reported bulging muscles far outside normal human proportions; fierce, resolute expressions that cannot be made to show happiness; and sudden, fist-first flights through space.

“The background’s all bright and filled with parallel lines, like I’m going really fast,” said another victim.  “What’s with that?”

Although little is known about the causes of the affliction, some theorists have suggested that it is the result of heavy media immersion.

“In a way, it was inevitable,” commented social critic Naoya Lei.  “What with the skyscrapers and the neon lights and the gadgets, this place can seem pretty artificial.  Now it just is.”