“Kisen-Sokobiki” (Dragnet Fishery) in Tajima a process of the development of Off-shore Fishery

Abstract

Japanese fishery was largely revolutionized by the use of motor-boats in the 2nd decade of 20th ceutury. With bonito-angle, tuna-tralling, mackerel-purse-seine, and dragnet fishery as their chief means, off-shore fisheries gradually took the place of coastal fisheries which predominated fomerly, and the amount of fishing products has remarkably increased with the development of them. On the other hand, the inner-structur of fishing villages has been influenced highly by the developsment of this capitalistic way of fishing, off-shore fisheries, and fishing ports as centers of them developed among those fishing villages which were largely similar to each other. “Kisen-sokoliki” is one of the dragnet fisheries which are simlar to trawling and most popular as off-shore fisheries in Japan. The present writer inquired into a process of the development of “Kisen-sokobiki” which has exclusively developed as off-shore fisheries in Tajima (northern coast of Hyogo prefecture) and arrived at the following:1) In the last days of 19th century, coastal fisheries by sailing vessels were becoming more prosperous due to the growth of internal markets and the opening to traffic of the Sanin-line in 1900 developed this tendency. Dragnet fishery by sailing vessel was of the chief fisheries in Tajima, but its fishing grounds extended only a few miles away from the coast. The use of motorboats which dates from 1912 in Tajima, led to the prosperity of the off-shore fisheries and the ammount of fishing products increased so highly that after some years sailing vanished in dragnet fashery.2) Replacing “Kisen-sokobiki”was established about 1917 when a winch was first used in dragging up a net. It still achieved a remarkably development, inspite of severe restructions of law against its great pressure on coastal fishery. Fishing grounds were expanded to all the continental shelves of the southern parts of Japan Sea, and at last to the southernmost offing of Gory Sikhote Alin.3) In Tajima, Kasumi has developed into a central port of “Kisen-sokobiki” with a great many fishing boats and other fishing instruments. It's development owes to the facilities of communications with such metropolitan cities as Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. In the early days, Shibayama was a central port with the advantage of a natural port, but it was replaced by the artificial Kasumi-port because of lack of communication facilities.4) Original fishermen have gradually lessened, though not entirely, and not a few fishermen are still engaged in original coastal fishery. Even lalorers who belong to a higher claas of “Kisen-sokobiki” are not always in employment all the year round. Petty coastal fishery can barely support fishermen's life, and serve for off-shore fishery which are in a crisis with the loss of productive fishing grounds by the defeat, besides under the pressure of pelagic fishery.