Fishing industry in Japan
Encyclopedia
The fishing industry
in Japan
constitutes both a major industry and export.
has long been a vital resource. While much Japanese fishing is done far from Japan, the fishing near Eastern Japan and Northeast is in question due to radiation and grocery shoppers may want to look for labels explaining the source of the fish. Japan has relied on fishermen as the major source of protein
for the population, and also as a livelihood for the population. Fish and fishery products have long been second only to rice
in the Japanese diet. Japanese fisheries consist of three distinct groups. Their differences consist of the area fished, the types of aquatic animals fished for, and the scale and method of fishing operations. The category of “coastal and offshore fisheries” conduct their operations on the continental shelf
along the Japanese coast. The catches in this category consist mainly of sardine
s, herring
, yellowtail
, sea bream, mackerel
, tuna
, and salmon
(Marine Resources, 1966). Whaling
is another category of fishing. The third category of fishing consists of those vessels that fish in international waters
. Of particular importance in the pursuit of fishery sustainability
is the manageability of resource-use regulations (Assessing Local, 1995).
The Japanese Fisheries Agency website states that the Basic Fisheries Plan was developed by the Japanese government in 2007, claiming the government is working to establish long-standing, strong fisheries and fishery practices by promoting the overall restoration of the fishery industry. This can be accomplished by promoting surveys and research into fishery resources, the promotion of international resource management
in international waters, promoting international cooperation within the international fishing grounds, and improving the living environments
for all aquatic life in inland waters, while at the same time promoting aquaculture
. This restoration consists of many different phases to include the restoration and management of low-level fishery resources.
Other priorities of the Japanese government include continuing to develop new technologies to improve fishery operations, whether incorporating new workplace needed technologies, or creating and exploiting intellectual properties. Also, at the top of the list is the reorganization of the fish-labor industry organizations from the top down. The government provides support to the fishery operators groups by helping to acquire the equipment necessary to reduce fuel consumption, through the introduction of energy-saving operating systems. In order to maintain a strong work force in the fishery industry, the government has programs set up encouraging college students to look into the industry as a possible career path. This includes supporting activities that provide the opportunity to experience stationary net fishing and aquaculture. The government also provides the prospective employees with job information from fisheries worldwide while holding job seminars with well recognized companies in the Japanese fishery business. There is also a government sponsored on-site training program for individuals planning to make a career in the fishery industry. The fisheries in Japan are governed by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. The Fisheries Agency is organized into four departments: Fisheries Policy Planning Department, Resources Management Department, Resources Development Department, and Fishing Port Department. The Fisheries Policy Planning Department is in charge of the planning of policies concerning the fisheries, and all administrative matters that go along with the organization. The Resources Management Department plans the continuous development of Japans fisheries. The Resources Development Department is in charge of the scientific research and development in the field of fisheries. The Fishing Port Department is the base for fishery production activities and also the basis for the distribution and processing of the marine products.
is the government agency responsible for the fishing industry.
and Maruha Nichiro; each employs more than 10,000 people and owns subsidiaries around the world.
," a 1929 Marxist novel about a crab boat crew determined to stand up to a cruel captain under harsh conditions, became a surprise bestseller, thanks to an advertising campaign linking the novel to the working poor.
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
constitutes both a major industry and export.
Fisheries
Fishing in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
has long been a vital resource. While much Japanese fishing is done far from Japan, the fishing near Eastern Japan and Northeast is in question due to radiation and grocery shoppers may want to look for labels explaining the source of the fish. Japan has relied on fishermen as the major source of protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
for the population, and also as a livelihood for the population. Fish and fishery products have long been second only to rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
in the Japanese diet. Japanese fisheries consist of three distinct groups. Their differences consist of the area fished, the types of aquatic animals fished for, and the scale and method of fishing operations. The category of “coastal and offshore fisheries” conduct their operations on the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
along the Japanese coast. The catches in this category consist mainly of sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s, herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, yellowtail
Yellowtail
A yellowtail may be any of several different species of fish. Most commonly the Yellowtail amberjack Seriola lalandi is meant. In the context of sushi, yellowtail usually refers to the Japanese amberjack, Seriola quinqueradiata...
, sea bream, mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
, tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
, and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
(Marine Resources, 1966). Whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
is another category of fishing. The third category of fishing consists of those vessels that fish in international waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
. Of particular importance in the pursuit of fishery sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
is the manageability of resource-use regulations (Assessing Local, 1995).
The Japanese Fisheries Agency website states that the Basic Fisheries Plan was developed by the Japanese government in 2007, claiming the government is working to establish long-standing, strong fisheries and fishery practices by promoting the overall restoration of the fishery industry. This can be accomplished by promoting surveys and research into fishery resources, the promotion of international resource management
Resource management
In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
in international waters, promoting international cooperation within the international fishing grounds, and improving the living environments
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
for all aquatic life in inland waters, while at the same time promoting aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
. This restoration consists of many different phases to include the restoration and management of low-level fishery resources.
Other priorities of the Japanese government include continuing to develop new technologies to improve fishery operations, whether incorporating new workplace needed technologies, or creating and exploiting intellectual properties. Also, at the top of the list is the reorganization of the fish-labor industry organizations from the top down. The government provides support to the fishery operators groups by helping to acquire the equipment necessary to reduce fuel consumption, through the introduction of energy-saving operating systems. In order to maintain a strong work force in the fishery industry, the government has programs set up encouraging college students to look into the industry as a possible career path. This includes supporting activities that provide the opportunity to experience stationary net fishing and aquaculture. The government also provides the prospective employees with job information from fisheries worldwide while holding job seminars with well recognized companies in the Japanese fishery business. There is also a government sponsored on-site training program for individuals planning to make a career in the fishery industry. The fisheries in Japan are governed by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. The Fisheries Agency is organized into four departments: Fisheries Policy Planning Department, Resources Management Department, Resources Development Department, and Fishing Port Department. The Fisheries Policy Planning Department is in charge of the planning of policies concerning the fisheries, and all administrative matters that go along with the organization. The Resources Management Department plans the continuous development of Japans fisheries. The Resources Development Department is in charge of the scientific research and development in the field of fisheries. The Fishing Port Department is the base for fishery production activities and also the basis for the distribution and processing of the marine products.
Techniques
- Ayu fishingAyu fishingAyu fishing is one of the several narrowly defined styles of fishing in Japan.Ayu fishing was practiced by Samurai as long as 430 years ago. It uses very long rods and fly but fly-casting is not required. Ayu fishing originated at least 430 years ago when anglers discovered they could dress...
- Tenkara fishingTenkara fishingTenkara fly fishing is a traditional type of fly fishing practiced in Japan. Primarily used for mountain stream trout fishing, tenkara is one of the most popular methods of angling among fresh-water mountain anglers in Japan....
, a type of fly fishingFly fishingFly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting... - Factory shipFactory shipA factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...
- Artificial reefs are used to increase the sustainable fishing activities on the coastline.
Policy
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
The ' a cabinet ministry in the government of Japan responsible for oversight of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. Its acronym is MAFF.-History:...
is the government agency responsible for the fishing industry.
Prominent companies
Two of the largest fishing companies in Japan are Nippon Suisan KaishaNippon Suisan Kaisha
is a marine products company based in Japan. It had annual revenues in 2004 of 4.7 billion USD. The company was established in 1911, and is a commercial fishing and marine product procurement operation. Its goal is to “Establish a global supply chain of marine products.” The company is the...
and Maruha Nichiro; each employs more than 10,000 people and owns subsidiaries around the world.
In literature
In 2008, Takiji Kobayashi's "A Crab Canning BoatKanikosen
is a novel by Takiji Kobayashi, written in 1929. Written from a left-wing point of view, it concerns the crew of a crab fishing ship's hardships as they struggle under capitalist exploitation. The book has been made into a film and as manga...
," a 1929 Marxist novel about a crab boat crew determined to stand up to a cruel captain under harsh conditions, became a surprise bestseller, thanks to an advertising campaign linking the novel to the working poor.
See also
- Agriculture in Japan
- Radiation effects from Fukushima I nuclear accidentsRadiation effects from Fukushima I nuclear accidentsThe radiation effects from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster are the results of release of radioactive isotopes from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami...
- Marine biologyMarine biologyMarine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
Sources
- Comitini, S. (1966). MARINE RESOURCES EXPLOITATION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF JAPAN. Economic Development & Cultural Change, 14(4), 414. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.
- Fisheries Agency. (2009). Fisheries Policy for FY2009 (Executive Summary). Retrieved from http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/annual_report?2008/pdf/data3.pdf
- Adrianto, L.,Yoshiaki, M., Yoshiaki, S. (1995). Assessing local sustainability of fisheries system: a multi-criteriea participatory approach with the case of Yoron Island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. Marine Policy, 29(1),19-23. Retrieved from Science Direct database.