The prefecture! governments, most of which maintained separate 
fisheries sections, regulated the local licensing and supervised the 
local organisations. Thus, they had direct control over those village 
fishermen who fished the coastal waters. In many cases, the prefecture! 
governments also engaged in research and educational activities. 
Organ!zaiion . ill aspects of the Japanese fishing and related 
industries were highly organized. In general the organizations may he 
divided into three types: (l) societies, of which there were several 
kinds; (2) companies; and (3) associations. 
Societi es , fishery societies (suisan-kai), aquatic 
products societies (sui&an-kumiai) and fishermen's societies (gyogyo- 
kumiai) were three types of societies for fishermen and those interested 
in the industry. These were all set up under law and the central 
government which gave them aid also had considerable control over 
them. Some of these societies were principally aimed at promoting 
the common interests of those engaged in production, manufacture and 
sale of aquatic products whereas others were mainly concerned with 
economic aspects of individual members. In the coastal fisheries the fisher¬ 
men's societies (gjrogyo kumiai) were perhaps the most important type 
of organization; these originally formed to handle the "fishing rights" 
of the villages, in many cases also undertook cooperative marketing, 
purchasing and credit arrangements. 
Companies . Although there were several hundred fishing 
companies in 1939, two large fishing companies, both of which were the 
• 10 - 
16-031 P28 bu 
