2014 Volume 55 Issue 1 Pages 45-72
Novel prize winner Elinor Ostrom established theoretically and empirically that common-pool natural resources (commons) can be sustainably managed through resource users’ voluntary cooperation. Fisheries management in Japan is often described as “Japanese-style” in that fishermen’s voluntary cooperation is playing important role, keeping harmony with governmental regulations. This paper examined the applicability of Ostrom’s commons management theories to Japanese-style fisheries management. Literature reviews and preliminary consideration on published materials regarding current state of Japan’s fisheries management confirmed that a set of her ideas such as design principles, social capital, and polycentricity are in conformity not only with the management of inshore fisheries but also with those of offshore fisheries.
