Development of stownet on anchor fishery after the World War II

This paper is continued from the 'Development of stownet on anchor fishery; its establishment in Ariake Sound and fishing to the colonized Korea Sea' in the last number of this bulletin and covers its development after the World War II. Despite losing the Korea Sea as a fishing area after the war, stownet on anchor fishery as a kind of set-net to catch fish moving on tidal currents had been devised reaching a developmental peak in the 1950s. The reasons besides early motorization used to increase freshness were recovery of fish stock, social factors involving demand for food, high-inflation, and a lack of employment opportunities. With the post war fisheries reform, offshore Ariake Sound was divided into the surrounding four prefectures which caused serious conflict between those claiming territorial fishing rights. Meanwhile fishing had continued to operate in the form of mutual entrance or unofficial agreements. During the period of high economic growth beginning in 1960, stownet on anchor fishery had rapidly declined as a result of over-fishing, and evolved into the more profitable laver culture which has been newly established, requiring less labor. At present, stownet on anchor fishery exists only sporadically and is not of industrial importance. However this form of fishery has taken root as a side job of laver culture because of its compatibility with available boats and labor. This fishery has been revaluated as being labor-saving and as being an energy-saving fishing method, but its management is not foreseeable due to local marketability of indigenous species and low level of fish stock. It has transformed little during the past 60 years following the war in terms of gear structure, fishing scale, fishing method, fishing ground, and target species, with the exception of changes in the materials of the gear and increased horsepower.