The Fisheries Forecasting System in Japan

Abstract

The roles of the various environmental factors played in the success or failure of fishing operations, resources research and management have been discussed in many papers. Fisheries forecasting is one application of these natural rules to fishing industries. Among these factors, oceanographic conditions are most closely linked to fish resources and fisheries. These conditions can be put into two different categories, according to their shortand long-term implication. The methods and techniques to be employed in fisheries forecasting differ greatly by category.
In Japan, short-term forecasting has been practically implemented. by the Japan Fisheries Information Service Center (JAFIC), a subsidiary organazation of the central government, in collaboration with national and local fisheries research institutes. And, for short-term forecasting analysis observations of sea-surface temperature made of satellite can be used for the services provided by JAFIC.
On the other hand, long-term forecasting is carried out chiefly by the oceanographic and resources departments of the national fisheries research institutes in close collaboration with local fisheries experimental stations of prefectural government, over the entire coast of Japan.
I present in this paper a review of the fisheries forecasting system currently employed in the coastal pelagic fish fisheries in Japan from both a technical and administrative point of view.