Effects of Direct Sales of Seafood on Fishery Management Bodies: Case Study of Misaki, Fuke District, Osaka Prefecture

Abstract

Direct local marketing of seafood has been widespread in Japan since the 1990s. In recent years, these activities have been undertaken by fishermen and fishermen’s cooperatives or retailers in order to revitalize regional fishery economies. These innovations in distribution systems may affect fishery management and activities in some regions. Thus, the author aimed to analyze how the direct seafood marketing system affects fishery management and activities. A case study was conducted at retail Store A in Michinoeki (roadside station) Misaki in the town of Misaki, Fuke district, Osaka prefecture, and changes in the management conditions of fishery bodies in Misaki were analyzed.

Direct shipping to Michinoeki Misaki began in April 2017. Some fishery management bodies of four fishermen’s cooperatives currently ship there. The conditions for dealing in Store A are: 1) only fishery management bodies can ship there, to the displeasure of fishermen; 2) the market price is decided by Store A; 3) the fish are consigned by Store A; and 4) fishermen cannot ship live fish to Store A.

The income of fishery management bodies responsible for direct shipping has increased since direct shipping to Store A began because the destination is fixed. However, delivery and treatment of the fish (e.g., ikezime, the draining of blood from a live fish to preserve its freshness) have been added. As a result, the amount of work has also increased. Furthermore, the management bodies ship high-quality fish, i.e., large or heavy fish that would be expected to receive high market prices in cooperative markets, and others that cannot be shipped to cooperative markets are shipped to Store A. One fisherman said, “I was able to ship some fish that could not ever be shipped previously.”

As noted above, management conditions and activities have changed since direct marketing started, and a new strategy has been employed by which fish quality can be controlled depending on the destination.