{"id":94086,"date":"2022-04-21T11:59:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T06:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icsf.net\/?post_type=samudra&p=94086"},"modified":"2022-04-21T12:01:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T06:31:00","slug":"the-past-lives-on","status":"publish","type":"samudra","link":"https:\/\/www.icsf.net\/samudra\/the-past-lives-on\/","title":{"rendered":"The Past Lives On"},"content":{"rendered":"
The management of small-scale fishing in Hime-shima in Oita Prefecture in western Japan shows how collaboration on traditional knowledge and practices can help overcome external threats<\/strong><\/p>\n This article is by Nobuyuki Yagi <\/strong>(yagi@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp), professor at the University of Tokyo and Member of the Science Council of Japan<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s traditional ways for fishery resource management were developed more than 200 years ago. A document written in 1816, called the \u2018Edo-Bay Protocol\u2019 (Edo is the ancient name for Tokyo), indicates that 44 coastal communities in the Tokyo Bay agreed that (i) conferences of the fishers shall be held annually, with a host community being assigned on a yearly rotation; (ii) no new fishing method or equipment shall be permitted other than the existing 38 methods in the area; and (iii) all parties shall abide by this agreement.<\/p>\n … although a strong Samurai government ruled Japan in the 19th century\u2014the so-called Edo Era\u2014local communities took a bottom-up approach to fishery management<\/strong><\/p>\n Coastal communities in Japan have thus long adopted a bottom-up approach for fisheries management. Neighbouring communities agreed upon the borders of fishing grounds so that they could exclusively manage the water area in their locale. This deterred outsiders from accessing fishery resources and thus provided an avoidance mechanism against the \u2018free rider\u2019 problem of resource management. These agreements also contributed to mitigating conflicts among communities on access to the fishing areas. Interestingly, although a strong Samurai government ruled Japan in the 19th century\u2014the so-called Edo Era\u2014local communities took a bottom-up approach to fishery management.<\/p>\n At the time, this had a necessary social function too. Japan is a mountainous archipelago with narrow arable lands. Killing and eating cattle had been a religious taboo for many generations during the Samurai periods. To support a relatively densely populated territory, food resources from the ocean have historically been utilized. Hence the demand for seafood has been high throughout Japan\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Changing habits<\/strong><\/p>\n A new government was established in 1868. National borders were opened up for the United States, Russia and European countries. Before this, direct commercial trade with foreign countries was not permitted, with the exception of China, Korea and the Netherlands. The non-Samurai Meiji government abolished several customary practices in Japan, including traditional clothes, hairstyles and food habits. Then, Japanese people began to accept Western cultures and habits, including a pragmatic and utilitarian attitude to eating cattle.<\/p>\n
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