The Japanese have a great liking for fresh fish. But the waters
close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So, to feed the
Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than
ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring
back the fish. The longer it took them to bring back the fish, the
staler they grew.
The fish were not fresh and the Japanese did not like the taste. To
solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their
boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers
allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the
Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish.
And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish
brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks.
They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin.
After a little hashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were
tired and dull, but alive.
Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference.
Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish
taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not
sluggish fish. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!
But
today, it has got over that crisis and has emerged as one of the
most important trades in that country! How did Japanese fishing
companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to
Japan?
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still
put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each
tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a
very lively state. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly
on the move. And they survive and arrive in a healthy state!They
command a higher price and are most sought-after. The challenge they
face keeps them fresh!
Humans are no different. L. Ron Hubbard observed in the early
1950's: "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a
challenging environment."
George Bernard Shaw said: " Satisfaction
is death!"
Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!