APPENDIX IV APPENDIX IV 
Research programs 
Nine national fisheries research laboratories and a net- 
work of 80 prefectural experimental and branch research sta- 
tions conduct extensive research programs on fishing, marine 
biology and other oceanography areas. 
The Japan Marine Resource Research Center, established 
in 1971, has conducted research for the purpose of developing 
and exploiting underutilized and dormant fishery resources. 
Aided by the Center's research efforts, one major fishing 
company recently began commercial production of Antarctic 
krill for use in fish sausage and frozen fish products. 
In 1975 a new research organization, the Marine Ecology 
Research Institute was established to study the biological 
effects of heat produced by electric generating plants on the 
coastal marine environment. 
Additionally, Japan has 17 universities which have 
fisheries curriculum and over 50 high schools specializing 
in fisheries education. 
Management programs 
Japan's fishing industry is governed by a complex system 
of national and prefectural (state) fishing rights and 
licenses. Coastal fisheries are governed by prefectures, in 
accordance with national fishing laws. The prefectures regu- 
late fishing seasons, zones, size of specie catch, method 
of fishing, and quotas on catch for certain species. The 
national Government regulates offshore and distant water 
fisheries, although offshore fishing licenses are granted by 
the prefectures. 
Japan controls and coordinates its fisheries as a unit. 
Fishing effort is controlled through increasing or decreasing 
the number of licenses made available. Every 5 years the 
Central Fisheries Coordination Committee, an advisory body 
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, determines the 
number of vessels that are to be licensed by size, fishing 
area, and periods of operation. This determination is based 
on factors such as resource availability, number of vessels 
already engaged in each fishery, and financial and managerial 
considerations. When reductions are decided upon, the Govern- 
ment works with the network of fishermen's cooperative asso- 
ciations to accomplish the desired results. 
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