### C. Cooperation in overseas fisheries

O As part of official development assistance (ODA) efforts, Japan provides grant aid for fisheries (developing fishery-related facilities, providing fishery-related materials and equipment, etc.) so as to contribute to promotion of the fishing industry and to resource management in developing countries, and provides technical assistance (dispatching experts, etc.) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

O For coastal countries where Japanese fishing vessels conduct fishing operations, private organizations provide fishery cooperation, such as accepting trainees and transferring or disseminating fishery technology, and Japan's national government supports such efforts.

O In order to realize sustainable fisheries in the Southeast Asian region, Japan provides financial and personnel assistance to the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), which is an international organization.

O Japan offers a Technical Intern Training Program, which is a program to accept youth and adult workers from other countries in Japanese industry and provide them with technical intern training for a maximum of three years. In the field of fisheries, various types of fishery and aquaculture industries and fishery processing industries accept interns from other countries, and the trainees acquire skills through actual work at the workplace.

## Section 6: Development of safe and vigorous fishing communities

## (1) Seashore revitalization plan

O Since fisheries serve as the industrial foundation of a fishing community, it is essential to revitalize local fisheries in order to revitalize the fishing community.

O Since FY2013, fishery cooperatives or fishers' organizations at the respective seashores have formulated a seashore revitalization plan in accordance with the actual conditions of the area, jointly with the municipality, etc., and have started to implement the measures indicated in the plan.

(2) Use of local resources in the fishing industry and fishing communities

O Fishing communities attract many tourists, since they provide fresh seafood dishes that can only be enjoyed in production areas and various recreational activities such as recreational fishing and sea bathing in an environment filled with nature. At the same time, the visits by a large number of tourists create jobs and significantly contribute to the revitalization of fishing communities. Therefore, it is important to make effective use of the local resources of the respective fishing communities.

The national government promotes efforts for the development of “sixth industry” such as integrating the fishing industry with the processing and distribution industries or fusing the fishing industry with the tourism industry. It also encourages efforts by fishers to sell catches and fishery processed products to local consumers and efforts by local consumers to take initiative in consuming local products.

(3) Multiple functions of the fishing industry and fishing communities

The fishing industry and fishing communities have multiple functions in addition to their primary function of stably supplying fishery products to people. These functions include (i) conservation of the natural environment, (ii) ensuring security of the lives and properties of citizens through marine salvage, border patrol, etc., (iii) providing a place for residence and interchanges, and (iv) formation/maintenance of local societies.

There are concerns that the decrease and aging of fishing village populations will hinder the multiple functions of the fishing industry and fishing communities. In FY2013, the national government launched a system to support local activities that contribute to demonstration of multiple functions by the fishing industry and fishing villages.

[Multiple functions of the fishing industry and fishing villages]