Fish Landing Ports of Northern Water Trawler [Hokutensen

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Shiogama and Ishinomaki are principal fishing ports in the north of Japan. They are well-known as bases of pelagic fishery and also as landing places of catch. The fish processing industry has been developed in both cities. Geographically, Ishinomaki is in a disadvantageous position in its accessibility to large markets, and the amount of fish landed on the port had been, until 1963, less than that landed on Shiogama. But in 1969 Ishinomaki came to surpass the rival port. The landing amount of Shiogama in 1964 was 112, 000 tons and the figure became 155, 000 in 1973, whereas in Ishinomaki the figures showed an unusual increase from 65, 000 to 268, 000 in the same period.The increase of landing on both ports are mainly attributed to the large catch of pollack by trawlers in a northern sea. The lamding on Ishinomaki has been consistently rising since 1965, but the increase in Shiogama is very slow, and even fears of future decrease are entertained. What has caused the reversal of the position is this: Shiogama is situated at the inner part of Matsuhima Bay where oysters and nori (laver) are raised, and the city has adopted stringent regulations against polluting the neighboring waters. The pollack processing industry in the port was hard hit by it. Consequently, the landing of pollack on Ishinomaki has surpassed that of Shiogama.