fishery cooperatives, like other cooperatives, were organised in 
accordance with the Cooperative Societies Law of 1900 and its,numerous 
amendments. Originally they were organised on a voluntary basis and 
individuals might belong or not as they chose. Cooperatives related to 
the fishing industry like those related to other industries were grouped 
into four kinds, engaged in credit, sales, purchasing and "utility. M 
A single society, however, could and in many cases did carry out one, 
two, three or all four of the functions. Credit functions were the provid¬ 
ing of credit to fishermen; sales functions the cooperative marketing of 
the products produced by members; purchasing groups bought such articles 
as fishing implements needed by their members; and “utility" groups allowed 
members to make use of such facilities as boats and equipment. 
Above the local level were cooperative federations organizad on 
district, prefectural or national lines and engaged in the same type of 
work as the local cooperatives. At the national level was the Central 
« 
Union of Cooperative Societies (Sangyo-kumiai Chukai) under the super- 
i 
vision of the ’ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and also a Central Bank 
for Cooperative Societies (Sangyo-kumiai Chuo Kinko). 96/ 
Although the cooperatives related to the fishery industry were 
sponsored and encouraged by the government, being offshoots of the gyogyo- 
kumiai and related to cooperative activities in other industries, they 
appear to have been, at least originally, indigenous and voluntary. 
96/ This applies not only to the cooperatives of the fishery industry 
but to all cooperatives- 
- 177 - 
