2022 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 19-30
Does the prosperity of local sea cucumber fisheries promote the revitalization of local society? This paper explores three cases from South-West Hokkaido to demonstrate how people in local areas have designed management and utilization strategy to the economic impacts of global sea cucumber booms: (1) public-private cooperation in building a local-oriented production system, (2) branding strategy led by local fishers, and (3) risk reduction strategy of outsourcing fishing activities and communal share of the profit. Sea cucumber as a local resource is not prevalent in a local economy and culture since current sea cucumber production entirely depends on the external market. Developing internal uses of sea cucumber may help spread the benefit of sea cucumber fisheries over local society.
