(3) Fishery enforcement that supports the effectiveness of resource management

- Living resources on shore reef such as abalone and sea cucumbers are subject to common fishery rights granted to fishery cooperatives; and fishers themselves conserve and manage the resources. However, these resources include many that are valuable, and are comparatively easy to harvest using simple diving equipment. Thus, there have been many incidents of recreational visitors harvesting such resources as well as criminal organizations carrying out fish poaching.

- In addition, violations of regulations on operation period and area or fishing gear by fishers themselves prejudice the effectiveness of their own fishery resource-management measures, so it is necessary to prevent and control such violations.

- To enforce the above issues, Japan Coast Guard officers and police officers, as well as authorized fisheries enforcement officers from the Fisheries Agency and prefectural governments are carrying out activities in coordination with each other. In addition, fishers themselves are taking charge of patrolling their fishing grounds.

## (4) Aquatic environment that nurtures fishery resources

## (Shrinking seagrass beds and tidal flats that nurture fishery resources)

- Seagrass beds serve as important nursing grounds for juvenile fish and spawning grounds for aquatic animals. However, seagrass beds are shrinking due to the development of coastal areas and sea desertification.

- Tidal flats are important not only as places where various kinds of organisms can grow, but also as buffer zones that purify sea water and suppress sudden changes in the concentration of nutrient salts that flow in from land areas. However, tidal flats are shrinking due to land reclamations. Also, the production capacity of existing tidal flats has been lowering in various locations.

- In many enclosed sea areas, including Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Ariake, oxygen-depleted water masses have caused the deaths of fish and shellfish and color loss of cultured laver. To control the damage, the water-purifying effect and the material-circulation function of the silt area in shallow seas are drawing attention.

Deepening the understanding of the fishing industry through seagrass bed conservation activities

- The Hagi City Seagrass Bed Conservation Council, composed of fishers in Hagi City, Yamagata Prefecture, created seagrass beds in cooperation with Koshigahama Elementary School in Hagi City, in order to help local residents and their children understand the importance of seagrass beds.

- In this activity, fishers first gave a lecture on the role of fisheries and the importance of conserving seagrass beds at the elementary school. Then, school students and fishers planted arame seaweed together. Children have deepened their understanding of the fishing industry through such practical activities.

Elementary school students learning how to plant arame seaweed from a fisher

## (5) Damage to fisheries by wildlife and harmful organisms

- With regard to fisheries operations in the waters surrounding Japan, there has been feeding damage to fish catches, delay of work, damage to fishing equipment caused by wildlife and harmful organisms such as Steller sea lions, earless seals, longheaded eagle rays, sea squirts, and large jellyfish.

- According to a survey by Hokkaido, damage worth about 1.5 billion yen was caused by Steller sea lions and about 300 million yen by seals during FY2011.

- The national and prefectural governments are implementing comprehensive measures for preventing damage, such as (i) identifying the ecology of organisms that cause fishery damage, (ii) provision of information on appearance or predicted appearance of such organisms to fishery-related entities, (iii) promoting the introduction of improved fishing gear, etc., and (iv) supporting demonstration tests for methods to exterminate or chase away harmful organisms.

Locations of occurrence of fishery damage and damage details

Name of wildlife/harmful organism	Area of occurrence	Damage details
Large jellyfish	Sea of Japan side, Sanriku coast, etc.	Started appearing in vast quantities in 2002, causing damage, including broken fish nets such as trawls and set nets and degradation of catches, thereby increasing working hours. Have not appeared in large quantities since FY2010.
Longheaded eagle ray	Sea of Ariake and Seto Inland Sea	Feeding on clams, such as Japanese littleneck clam and fan-mussels, and causing damage such as broken fish nets (e.g. gill nets)
Steller sea lion	Hokkaido and Aomori Prefectures	Damage such as broken fish nets, including gill nets and set nets, and diminishing catches through feeding
Earless seals	Hokkaido	Damage such as broken fish nets, including gill nets and set nets, and diminishing catches through feeding
Sea squirt (Ascidiella aspersa)	Hokkaido and Aomori Prefectures	Adhere in large quantities to aquaculture facilities, causing damage that includes inhibiting growth of scallop by eating massive amounts of feed (phytoplankton), and increasing working hours by making the aquaculture facilities heavier.