Abstract
In order to contribute to effective stock and fishery management of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou in Japanese rivers, regulations used to manage inland commercial fisheries and recreational fishing in the northwestern district of the Honshu Island, Japan were surveyed. The closed season, prohibited area, length limit and restrictions on fishing gears and methods were provided in the prefectural regulations for inland water fishery coordination and the regulations for recreational fishing of fishery cooperatives. There were some cases that bag limits and limited entry were used to regulate recreational fishing. Terms of the closed season, numbers and length of prohibited areas, kinds of restricted gears and methods, ranges of bag limits and limited entry varied between prefectural regulations and also those of fishery cooperatives. Fishing fees were used in the regulations of fishery cooperatives and the fees varied between cooperatives. Also, the fishing fees varied for adult (sakuramasu) and juvenile (yamame) salmon. It is important for the enhancement and conservation of masu salmon in rivers that the regulations imposed by prefectures and fishery cooperatives provide efficient restrictions and limits based on the condition of the salmon stock, habitat environment and opinions of fishermen and anglers.
