Fishermen Activities to Collect Marine Debris in Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Abstract

Fishermen have a responsibility to conserve marine environment from a viewpoint of their making a living with the oceans. This paper presented marine environmental conservation activities carried out by fishermen in Munakata city, Fukuoka Prefecture: collection of benthic and floating marine debris as government-funded projects focusing on the multifunctionality of the fisheries and fishing community; and fishermen’s voluntary activity of marine debris collection during their daily fishing operation. The General Incorporated Association SeaSonS supported the collection of coastal marine debris conducted by fishermen who stopped going out fishing due to stormy weather. Analytical findings of the debris collected in this activity was also presented. In the future, in order to maintain the cooperative activities of more fishermen to collect marine debris, it is necessary to create some support system that leads to the fisherman’s income as a profitable business.