Ocean around Japan warming up fast -report

TOKYO, May 16 (Reuters) The ocean around Japan has warmed up faster than elsewhere in the world over the last hundred years partly because of global warming, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

The sea surface temperature around central, western and southern Japan has climbed by 0.7 to 1.6 degrees Celsius in the last century, far higher than the world average of a 0.5 degree Celsius increase, a survey conducted by the agency showed yesterday.

The findings were based on data collected by research and commercial vessels that started in the late 19th century.

The agency said global warming was partly to blame for the fast rise in the ocean temperature around Japan.

''But the areas surveyed were so small that we cannot say the rise in the water's temperature has been caused entirely by global warming,'' it said. It did not specify why the ocean around Japan would be more affected than other parts of the world.

The report comes at a time when the international community is struggling to take global action against climate change.

REUTERS SV HS0901