APPENDIX IV APPENDIX IV 
and to help companies cope with high fuel costs. A similar 
loan program, aimed at stabilizing domestic fish prices will 
be started in October 1976. Another assistance program, 
approved in April 1976, provides for the maintenance and 
development of Japan's coastal fishing grounds. The program, 
to be carried out over the next 7 years, will cost an es- 
timated $667 million. 
EFFECT OF EXTENDED JURISDICTION 
The establishment of global 200-mile economic zones is 
a highly sensitive issue in Japan. Next to Iceland, Japan 
has the highest annual per capita consumption of fish and 
shellfish in the world--80.2 pounds, or over 50 percent of 
its total animal protein intake. With coastal and inland 
fisheries and cultures contributing less than 30 percent of 
its total fishing catch, international fishing grounds are 
vital to the welfare of its fishing industry. About 9.9 
billion pounds, or over 40 percent of its 1974 fishing catch, 
with a value of $1.7 billion, came from waters within 200 
miles of foreign countries. 
The Japanese are resigned to the establishment of 
worldwide 200-mile economic zones, by the United Nations' 
Law of the Sea Conference. They are, however, strongly 
opposed to countries taking unilateral actions establishing 
200-mile economic or fishing zones, as the U.S. and Canada 
have done. They are also opposed to the idea of coastal 
countries being granted the right to exclusive control over 
resources in areas exceeding 200 miles from the coast (conti- 
nental shelf resources). 
The Japanese Government has publicly stated that the 
primary objective of its fishing industry is to maintain, 
and if possible, increase its total fishery catch. Although 
it is not yet clear how Japan will deal with the problems 
imposed by the creation of worldwide fishing zones our 
observations are that: 
--Japan's 7-year coastal fisheries development program 
plans to increase coastal fishery production by about 
660 million pounds or 10 percent of recent production. 
--Research programs are being conducted to locate new 
fishing grounds, develop uses for underutilized 
species including Antarctic krill and deep sea fish, 
and to promote the more effective utilization of 
currently used species. An approach under consider- 
ation is to grant development assistance and other 
concessions to lesser developed countries in return 
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