Research and Management Activities for Both Coastal and Pelagic Sharks Conducted by Fishery Research Agency in Japan

Shark management in Japan is briefly outlined. Sharks are caught as bycatch of variety of pelagic and coastal fisheries, except for offshore surface longline fishery targeting blue shark seasonally. Landing of sharks and rays was more than 100 thousand tons in the 1940s, and decreased into between 20 and 30 thousand tons in recent years. This is mainly due to the decrease of the effort of fisheries catching sharks, such as bottom trawls and other demersal fisheries, as well as the coastal dogfish fisheries. Large landing in the 1940s and the 1950s can be attributed to the shortage of food due to the loss by WWII.

Shark catches are monitored by the census of fishery conducted every year, and main source of catch information is the auction records at wholesale markets at landing sights and log-books. In 2008, total catch of sharks was about 37,400 tons, and 84% of them is from pelagic longline fishery. Other sources of catch are small scale coastal fisheries such as drift net, bottom trawl and trap net. 

Log-book system has been introduced mandatory for pelagic longline fishery. The log-book currently holds columns for blue sharks, salmon sharks/porbeagles, shortfin mako sharks, oceanic white tip sharks, thresher sharks as well as other sharks. Recently, inclusion of additional species, such as silky shark, into the log-book system is being considered, based on the management measures introduced in Tuna RFMOs.

The catch of sharks by pelagic longline and drift net fisheries is controlled based on the management measures introduced in Tuna RFMOs. The coastal fisheries are managed by the domestic license system. The coverage of the fishery census is 100 % because Japanese coastal fishers are ruled to sell all their catches through auctions conducted at the wholesale markets in landing sights and the census covers almost all auction record.  

Japan has a long history of total utilization of shark, not only for nutritional purpose but also other purpose such as skin for old ornaments of arms and the hilt of a sword, and this custom is still succeeded by the present generations. Kesennuma fishing port is most famous port for shark landing in Japan, and the meat of shark is processed into Surimi and fillet, the skin is processed into clothing and accessories, and the bone is processed into the health food and ornaments in there.

The research activity in Japan is also introduced in the presentation.