Status of Fishing Conditions in Japan in Relation to Responsible Fisheries

Abstract

The presence of a large number of species that are low in quantity in Japan's coastal waters has resulted in the evolution of a food culture that has historically utilized most of the catch species and sizes that are caught in coastal trawls. This has resulted in a diverse range of species and sizes captured and amounts to 40% of total animal protein intake. Sustainable fisheries in Japan are necessary for preserving food culture as well as employment and income and great efforts are being made to conserve resources. Three strategies have been carried on for conservation of fisheries in Japan, are (1) Enhancement of Fish stocks, (2) Improvement of fishing grounds and (3) Improving the selectivity of fishing gears. Increasing mesh size and release of fish juveniles after capture has already been accepted by fishers. Fishers and scientists together have become a team in developing and testing selective fishing gears. Selectivity has been investigated on a practical basis with the aim to reduce fish discards and to release fish juveniles. However, unlike many western countries, guiding net panels and grids to improve selectivity have not been successful in Japanese coastal multi-species fisheries. The variations in size, shape, price and seasonally of species make development of selective fishing gears extremely complex. Our practical target is to promote live capture technology, improve utilization of species captured and refine catch records for investigation of fish stocks.