Lecture: Yasushi Ito
Chief of Fishing Ground Section
The Japan Institute of Technology on Fishing Ports
Grounds and Communities
Japan
y_ito@jific.or.jp
Creation of Fishing Ground Projects in Japan
In 1985, the creation of fishing ground project in Japan was begun with the artificial banks (stone beds). Afterwards, the Coastal Fishing Ground Improvement and Development law was enacted in 1974, and the artificial fishing ground was assumed in the social infrastructure of public works, then the creation of fishing ground construction became large-scale by this law. The Fishing ports improvement project was integrated with the Fishing ground improvement project in 2001, and the fishery was encouraged.
From 2007, under the direct control of the government, the project has begun the large-scale construction which development of protective-nursery reefs for snow crabs with management of crab resources. Over the 27 years from the legal enactment in 1974 to 2001, the development and improvement projects of fishing grounds maintained about 20,000 locations in Japan. Outline of those projects related to the creation of fishing grounds is as follows:
(1) ‘Artificial reef construction project’ was targeted mainly fishes. There are many kinds of artificial reefs, from small-scale to height of over 30m, then added nursery functions.
(2) ‘Nursery works construction project’ consist of two types. One type is aimed at littoral marine species, developing seaweed beds and tide land in shallow water to nursery abalone, clams, lobsters and kelp, etc. The other type aims at the creation and development of spawning and rearing grounds for fry and fishes that migrate in wide areas, such as seabream, flatfish and squids, etc.
(3) Other projects include ‘Aquaculture ground construction’ to create environments for aquaculture, ‘Fishing ground preservation’ to recover function of fishing ground, ‘Artificial upwelling mounds construction’ to generate upwelling, etc.
The placement of creation of fishing ground is conducted according to the laws and construction guidelines established by the government and taking into consideration the marine environment, the conditions of marine resources, socio-economic factor, and after surveying the species of fish being surveyed. Based on this, the purpose/use, location, scale, placement, shape, materials and construction methods of the fishing ground are determined. We shall present outline of these projects in Japan.
Willian J. Lindberg
