International Journal of Marine Science, 2017, Vol.7, No.38, 371-379
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fishing communities have been change their activity from fishing to seaweed farming due to higher contribution
of seaweed farming to household income. It is a different reason with Japanese fishermen that had changed their
fishing activity into oyster farming due to decrease the number of young fishermen. For instant, the number of
fishermen by gradually decreased during 1988 – 2013, particularly on age group 15 – 59 years old, but they were
increased on age group 60 to over 60 years old (Figure 4). In average, the group 15-24 years have decreased 0.2%,
25 – 39 years old have decreased 0.1%, and 40-59 years old have also decreased 0.1% in almost three decades.
However, the number of fishermen who are 60 to over 60 years old were slowly increased about 0.05%. Clearly, it
is difficult to develop fishing activity in Japan by decreasing the number of young fishermen.
Figure 4 The number of Fishermen in Japan during over last 3 decades
Note: Fishery census, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In Japan, fishery right system have devided into 3 systems, namely; 1) common fishery right, 2) demarcated
fishery right and 3) set net fishery right. In term of the right to catch the fish, prefecture government give a mandat
to local fishermen cooperative association (FCA) for responsible management of fishing activity with exclusively
for FCAs members (Figure 5).
Figure 5 Fisheries management Area in Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Women in fishing communities are engaged in various types of works. In some areas, they are engaged in fishing
activities themselves together with their family members. In many other areas, women are engaged in sorting of
fish by species and by size, after landing, and prepare for shipping the products by putting ice in the fish box to
keep freshness. They are sensitive to the changes of the environment such as caused by pollution, and are actively
engaged in the do-not-use-synthetic-detergents movement, clean the environment campaign such as by beach
cleaning activities, and movement of planting trees on the mountain and so forth. Women sold the fishes through
peddling prior to fisheries industry in Japan. They were developed the way to selling the fishes by opened the
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013
Nu. of Fishers
Year
The number of Fishermen by Ages over last 3
Decades
15-24
25-39
40-59
60 and over 60
