Economic factors effecting salmon fisheries in Japan

Salmon fishery of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean was resumed in 1952 after the Second World War. Fishery production of salmon with mother ship fisheries and drift net fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean was 116,210 tons in 1955. It exceeded 28,431 tons in 1939, the maximum production before the Second World War. Canned salmon were mainly exported to England, depending on the increase of fishery production of salmon (Nakai 1988). Mother ship fishery was one of the minister-licensed fisheries and was operated by some mother ships and many fishing boats offshore, in the Bering Sea or in the east Kamchatka waters. Fishing boats caught fish with drift nets, the fish were transported to mother ships in waters, and then the fish were processed into foods on mother ships. This fishery started in 1929 and finished in 1989 with the 200-mile regulation. On the other hand, drift net fishery was one of the governor-licensed fisheries and the minister limited the fishing effort and catch. The drift net fisheries in the west Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea are minister-licensed fisheries. The drift net fishery in the Japanese exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is the governor-licensed fishery. Fishing boats go out fishing from ports and catch fish with drift nets in waters and return to their landing ports. The fishing grounds were reduced by the 200-mile regulation and drift net fishery has been operated in the partial EEZ. The drift net fishery in the Russian EEZ in the west Pacific Ocean has been continuing to operate based on the fishery agreement with Russia. Though mother ship fisheries and drift net fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean declined with the 200mile regulation, fishery production of matured salmon returned to coastal areas by set net fisheries, which increased rapidly with a success of salmon enBulletin of the National Salmon Resources Center, No. 7:105-115 March 2005 さけ・ます資源管理センター 研究報告 第7号 105-115頁 2005年3月