Japanese-Type MPAs and Self-organized MPAs by Local Communities in Japan

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a practical tool to conserve biodiversity and also fishery resources. They are essential for the sustainable development of coastal waters. In Japan, fishing villages have had a long history of conserving marine resources in coastal waters like a marine protected area corresponding to an MPA category of “Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources,” one of the six MPA categories defined by IUCN. This article introduces three successful MPAs in Japan from the boreal to subtropical zones through temperate zone: Shiretoko, Taketomi, and Tsushima. Fishermen and fishery cooperatives play an important role to conserve marine resources in these MPAs. Their function is essential for maintaining MPAs. Since a fishery cooperative manages its own common fishery right area by itself, it is needed to merge common fishery right areas of several fishery cooperatives to protect marine bioresources and biodiversity. At this point, local governments play a key role to coordinate fishery cooperatives and other users of coastal waters such as leisure industries to discuss problems for realizing MPAs. Of course, related ministries of central government must support them with a liaison of local governments. In Japan, successful MPAs have been established through bottom-up efforts from fishermen and fishery cooperatives via local governments. This type of MPA management of which people deeply depends on coastal bioresources might be different from that of occidental countries.