APPENDIX IV APPENDIX IV 
Japan's fleet has overcapacity problems. Government 
and industry plans call for a 20 percent reduction of Japan's 
pelagic tuna fleet over the next 3 years. An official of 
one of Japan's major distant water fishing companies said 
it has reduced the size of its fleets in certain areas and 
that some vessels are Sitting in harbors, owing to their 
uneconomic operation. 
There is no generally accepted indicator to measure the 
productivity of fishing fleets. However, one indicator used 
by NMFS is the ratio between harvest and vessel tonnage. 
Using this indicator, NMFS showed that of the five nations 
having the largest fishing fleets, the Japanese fleet ranks 
third in productivity as shown inthe following table. 
Harvest 
(pounds harvested per 
Country gross ton of vessel) 
Norway SyeOnts) 
United States 16,645 
Japan IL3) AiO) 
Spain 6,900 
Soviet Union Pi) AU) 
Japan's productivity level is largely attributable to 
the fact that nearly all vessels in the fleet are engaged 
in harvesting fish, rather than in supporting other vessels. 
Japan's support vessels comprise about 20 percent of the 
fleets' tonnage. In comparison, Soviet support vessels 
make up nearly 50 percent of the fleets' tonnage. 
OWNERSHIP, EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES 
Japan's approximately 230,000 marine fishing firms are 
privately owned. Small family-run coastal fisheries account 
for more) than 90) percent .of. the total. number. But, in 1969), 
the latest year for which information was available, four 
enterprises controlled the majority of distant water fish- 
eries. 
A network of more than 3,000 local, prefectural and 
national level fishery cooperative associations provide sup- 
port to the Japanese fishing industry. Additionally, spe- 
cialized associations exist for large companies and specific 
types of fisheries, such as salmon, tuna, trawler, and set-net 
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