30 MANAGEMENT OF HIGH SEAS FISHERIES 



North Pacific that can be developed by Japanese and Soviet fisher- 

 men without having to jeopardize the already fully utilized halibut 

 and salmon stocks. 



Whether or not to continue the abstention principle, or to what 

 extent it should be continued, is the subject of Japanese-Canadian- 

 United States negotiations. A great deal has already been written 

 about the Canadian-United States attitude toward abstention, and in 

 general about management of the high seas fisheries. It is appropriate 

 to examine in greater detail some relevant Japanese policies, inas- 

 much as they are considerably less well known in North America. 



JAPANESE FISHING POLICY 



Opposition to the principle of abstention has frequently been 

 voiced by the Japanese fishing industry. This is in keeping with the 

 past as well as present policy of the Japanese government and 

 industry, which has been to maintain or increase their total catch 

 by world-wide expansion of fishing. This was expressed by Kasahara 

 in his 1961 lectures given at the University of British Columbia 

 (Kasahara, 1961). This series of lectures presented an excellent re- 

 view of Japanese literature on North Pacific fisheries and an excel- 

 lent discussion of the fishing stocks in the North Pacific. 



In discussing North Pacific fisheries Kasahara was critical of North 

 American biologists for their overemphasis of conservation. In 

 contrast, he pointed out that Japanese biologists were primarily 

 concerned with the development of new resources. It is interesting 

 to note that in this context a steady decline was demonstrated in the 

 total catch of Hokkaido herring since 1900. Japanese scientists 

 ascribe the disappearance of the Hokkaido herring to a change of 

 ocean currents. Whether this decline in catch can be explained by 

 natural causes or by depletion resulting from overfishing has not 

 been proven, nor has any attempt been made to adopt remedial 

 measures. 



In discussing flounder stocks off the coast of Japan, Kasahara 

 indicated that. . . . "In fact many of the flounder stocks in Japanese 

 waters have obviously been overfished and some of the North Ameri- 

 can halibut stocks have gone through overfishing in the past too." 

 (Kasahara, 1961, p. 80). It is noteworthy that the flounder stocks 

 in Japanese waters are admitted to be overfished and to continue in 



