APPENDIX IV APPENDIX IV 
number of Japanese marine fishing firms (about 230,000) has 
remained fairly stable over the last 5 years, with the ma- 
jority being the small coastal and inland water fisheries. 
Greatly increased fishing costs and impending sanctions 
of international economic zones have forced both industry 
and Government to take steps to stabilize its fishing oper- 
ations. 
Officials of. two major fishing firms told us that they 
have undergone drastic reorganizations, were reducing certain 
fleet operations, closing processing plants and were taking 
other measures to overcome the increased costs and impending 
sanctions. Increased costs have made the operation of 
factoryships, ships which process the catch at sea, uneco- 
nomical in some areas and, as a result, most fish is brought 
to Japan in frozen form. The large distant water fishing 
companies realize that their international fishing operations 
may be confined to a smaller scale in the near future (see 
p. 312), and are diversifying into other sectors of fishing 
activities. One company has made advances in the area of 
aquaculture to help overcome its supply problems and another 
is placing more emphasis on imports and reprocessing ac- 
Elvanteest 
As of March 31, 1975, the Japan Fisheries Agency re- 
ported 169 joint ventures in 50 countries, with a total 
investment value of $78 million ($27 million in North 
America). Japanese investment, in the form of capital, 
technical assistance (manpower) and in-kind contributions 
of vessels, machinery, and gear, iS made primarily to secure 
a source of fish and fish byproducts in some ventures for 
the companies involved. An Agency official said that 
recently, the trend has been to strengthen existing joint 
ventures, rather than to establish new ones. This may be 
attributed to the weakened financial condition of Japan's 
fishing industries. 
Joint ventures involving actual fishing operations 
require clearance from the Government. The Agency and the 
Department of the Treasury screen all such ventures to in- 
Sure that they are in accordance with foreign policy. The 
Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation, funded by the 
Agency, provides low interest loans to Japanese companies 
establishing joint ventures in developing countries. 
The Japanese Government has recently instituted-a 
number of programs to help its fishing industries. Sub- 
sidized long-term, low-interest loan programs have been es- 
tablished to liquidate fishing companies' debt burdens, 
reduce the size of the tuna fleet, to relieve overcapacity, 
309 
