July 1951 COMMERCIAL FISHEEIES REVIEW 41 



Japan 



AVAILABILITY OT JAPANESE FISHING CRAFT' FOR KOREAN FISHING INDUSIRY : Approx- 

 imately 64 Japanese fishing craft are available for the fishing industry inKorea, 

 according to information furnished the Korean Economic Aid agency of the Far East 

 Command by SCAP's Natural Resources Section, the latter agency's June 2 Weekly 

 SiiTTimary states. 



Consisting mostly of trawlers, these boats are being offered for sale, al- 

 though admittedly many of these boats are old and not in first-class condition. 

 These craft are surplus to Japanese needs mainly as a result of the reduction of 

 the East China Sea fleet which took place by action of the Japanese Government in 

 its effort to reduce overfishing in the important trawl areas of the East China 

 Sea within the SCAP-authorized fishing area. 



* * * * * 



COASTAL FISHERIES PROCgtAM : An outline of the physical rehabilitation of the 

 Japanese fishing industry during the years since the Surrender, the financial and 

 other economic problems which have developed during this period, and a program for 

 the solution of these problems are discussed in a report^ recently released by 

 SCAP's Natural Resources Section. 



According to this report, the physical rehabilitation program for the fishing 

 industry has been accomplished largely by restoration of the fishing fleet to a 

 level somewhat greater than that existing before World War. II and by the availa- 

 bility of nets and other equipment for these vessels and other facilities. In 

 spite of this recovery, financial and economic problems hav6 developed, principally 

 because the number of fishermen has increased to 40 percent more than before the 

 war while the over-all production of fish has failed to reach the prewar level, in 

 spite of- the larger numbers of fishermen and boats. Fishermen's operating costs 

 have increased, and in many instances the price of catch has declined. As a re- 

 sult of these factors, fishermen are faced with a problem of obtaining sound fi- 

 nancing to meet justifiable requirements. 



The preliminary study presents a 5-point program for the solution of this 

 economic crisis: 



1. STOP FURTHER EXPANSION IN OVERFISHED FISHERIES AND ACCOMPLISH 



NEEDED REDUCTIONS IN FISHING INTENSITY. 



2. DEVELOP SOUND CONSERVATION REGULAT I ONS W I THI N THE VARIOUS FISHERIES. 



3. ESTABLISH STRONG DEPARTMENTS IN THE FISHERIES AGENCY AND PREFECTURES 



FOR ENFORCEMENT OF FISHERY REGULATIONS. 



4. INCREASE THE FISHERMEN'S PROFITS THROUGH INCREASING THE RETURNS 



RECEIVED FOR THE CATCH AND DECREASING THE COST OF PRODUCTION. 



5. ESTABLISH A SOUND FINANCING PROGRAM. 



The Japanese Government, through Cabinet action, has officially approved the 

 recommendations made in the report and has instructed appropriate units of the 

 government to initiate action to determine how the recommendations can be imple- 

 mented^ 



VA program for JAPANESE COASTAL FISHERIES . PRELIMINARY STUDY NO. 48, MAY 1951, PREPARED 

 BY WILLIAM C. HERRI NGTON. 



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