60 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 8 



Japan (Contd.): 



Fig, 2 - Weighing black marlin aboard a Japanese tunamothei^ip, 



showed the largest quantitative increase 

 (264,000 tons) of all the fisheries, ( Suisan 

 Tsushin , June 8, 1966.) 



^ * * * j;; 



FISH CATCH IS DOWN AND 



IMPORTS ARE UP: 



The Japanese Government, at the February 

 22, 1966, Cabinet meeting, adopted the "1965 

 Annual Report on Fisheries Trends," the so- 

 called "Fisheries White Paper," and submit- 

 ted it to the National Diet. The report de- 

 scribes the production, economic, and man- 

 atgement trends in the Japanese fisheries pri- 

 marily for the year 1964, as well as the pro- 

 posed administrative measures for the coast- 

 al fisheries in 19 66. Highlights of the "White 

 Paper" are as follows: 



(1) The fishery economy in 1964 was affected by the tight 



money situation, labor shortage, growing international 

 restrictions on fisheries, and increasing imports of fishery 

 products. However, the fishery management, whilehav- 

 ing experienced two consecutive years of decline in pro- 

 duction, was sustained by the rising fish prices. 



(2) In 1964 fishery production (excluding whales) was valued 



ex-vessel at 497.5 biUion yen (US$1,38 billion). Al- 

 though there was a 5. 2 -percent decline in production 

 from 1963, the value increased 3 percent because of the 

 rise in fish prices. 



(3) Owing to the production decline, the supply of edible fish- 



ery products on the domestic market in 1964 declined as 

 follows compared with 1963: fishery products 5 percent; 

 whale meat 8 percent; seaweed 12 percent. Domestic 

 demand for fishery products continues to grow, and in 

 1964 household spending on fishery products increased 10 

 percent in cities and 16 percent in farm villages as com« 

 pared with 1963, 



(4) Value of marine products exported in 1964 totaled 112 bil- 



lion yen ($311 million), an increase of 10 percent over 

 1963 but falling slightly below the high recorded in 1962, 

 Imports of marine products in 1964 drastically increased, 

 totaling 32. 3 billion yen ($89,7 million) in value, a gain 



of Si percent over 1963. Increase in imports of fresh, 

 frozen and salted fish, and fish meal was particularly 

 great. 



(5) Despite the decline in production, average earnings by the 



medium and small fishery enterprises in 1964 increased 

 by 10 percent due to the rise in fish prices. Earnings 

 for the tuna long-line fishery improved for operators of 

 30- to 50-ton and 100- to 200-ton vessels but declined 

 for those operating 50- to 100-ton and 200- to 500-ton 

 vessels due to longer trip lengths and increasing interest 

 payments on loans. 



(6) The number of fishery managements is yearly decreasing, 



and by the end of 1964 there were 229,000 management 

 units, (Note: In 1963, there were 234,000 enterprises 

 according to the fishery census conducted by the Ministry 

 of Agriculture and Forestry*) The number of people en- 

 gaged in fisheries in 1964 totaled 612,000 persons, a 

 2.2-percent decrease from 1963 and a 15,4-percent de- 

 cline from 1960. Owing to the outflow of youths to oth- 

 er industries upon graduating fromi school, the average 

 age of the fishing population is yearly rising, 



(7) Average annual wage of fishermen employed in the med- 



ium and small fishery enterprises was 446,000 yen 

 ($1,239) in 1964, an 11-percent increase over 1963, and 

 approximately equaled that of workers employed in the 

 manufacturing industries, (Nihon Suisan Shimbun. Feb- 

 ruary 23, 1966.) 



It is also said that fishing opportunities in 

 the world were growing tight because of the 

 current trend toward expansion of territorial 

 waters and other deterrents to fishing opera- 

 tions. 



The measures introduced for the promo- 

 tion of the Japanese fishing industry envi- 

 sioned the development of untapped marine 

 resources, improvement of productivity in the 

 case of coastal fishing and small fishing in- 

 terests, promotion of fish cultivation, and 

 creation of shallow -water fishing grounds 

 through public works, as well as increased 

 financing for fishermen. (The Japan Times, 

 February 23, 1966.) 



:^ i'fi :^ :^ Jjf: 



FRESH AND FROZEN TUNA EXPORTS TO 

 OVERSEAS BASES, BUSINESS YEAR 1965: 



A total of 24,555 short tons of fresh and 

 frozen tuna valued at US$7.2 million wasval- 



Japanese Fresh and Frozen Tuna Validated for Export 

 to Overseas Bases in BY 1965 



Overseas Base 



BY 1965 



BY 1964 



BY 1963 I 



Pty.l/ 



Value 



Qty.iy 



Value 



Qty.i/ 



Value 



American Samoa 

 Penang, Malaysia 

 Fiji Islands . • . , 

 Saint Martin, 



Neth. Antilles , 

 Espiritu Santo, 



New Hebrides, , 

 Others 



Short 

 Tons 

 12,501 

 6,036 

 3,353 



1,412 



1,253 



US$ 



1.000 



3,756 



1,890 



916 



368 



304 



Short 

 Tons 

 12,457 

 3,305 

 1,777 



665 



1,226 

 668 



US$ 

 1,000 



Short 



Tons 



14,563 



1,552 



2,014 

 2.101 



US$ 

 1.000 



3,609 

 890 

 468 



211 



302 

 172 



4,083 

 497 



503 

 547 



Total .... 



24, 555 



7,234 



20,098 



5,652 



20,230 



5.630 



1/Includes round and dressed tuna and fillets. | 



