Nearly 30 percent of fishermen in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture plan to leave the industry, a move that could have a profound effect on the nation's supply of seafood, according to a survey.
Nearly 30 percent of fishermen in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture plan to leave the industry, a move that could have a profound effect on the nation's supply of seafood, according to a survey.
A Miyagi prefectural fisheries association surveyed about 10,400 fishermen at 33 locations in the prefecture--about 5,200 regular members and about the same number of associate members.
Of the 9,501 fishermen who responded by the end of April, 5,911, or 62.2 percent, plan to continue in the business, compared with 2,706, or 28.5 percent, who said they would leave, and 884, or 9.3 percent, still undecided.
Among the areas with the highest rates of fishermen leaving the industry were Ogatsu in Ishinomaki, at 79 percent, Shichigahama, at 44 percent, and Onagawa, at 31 percent.
Such an exodus from the industry could reduce catch numbers in the prefecture, where oysters and wakame seaweed are abundant off the coast, and hurt the future of the industry in the prefecture.
Many of those leaving the business are associate members, who do not fish for at least 90 days a year, which is a requirement for full membership.
Associate members often earn supplementary incomes from other jobs, such as farming.
Considering their low incomes from an undesirable mixture of fishing and farming, many associate members, who are mostly old, do not want to take on substantial debt to continue fishing, a senior association official said.
The fish catch, including culture fishery, in Miyagi Prefecture in 2008 totaled about 380,000 tons, second only to Hokkaido among Japan's prefectures.
Miyagi Prefecture is the top producer of ascidians and ranks second in production of wakame seaweed, oysters and abalone.
Most of the fishermen who catch a variety of fish and other products are members of the association.
Therefore, a continued exodus from the regional industry could affect nationwide supplies.
However, fishermen who engage in distant-water fishing to catch tuna and bonito have not joined the association.
In an attempt to revitalize the industry, Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai proposed that the right to fish off the coast of the prefecture--which the association has exercised exclusively over the years--be given to private fishermen to attract new entrants into the industry. He made this suggestion to a reconstruction council set up by the Kan administration.
The central government is also discussing consolidation of fishing ports and culture fishery facilities in disaster-stricken areas.