SEAFDEC News

JAPAN - Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai believes that older and smaller-scale fishers will not be able to recover from last March’s earthquake and tsunami -- even with government help. Instead, he has proposed opening coastal waters to big-business investors. These waters are currently restricted to independent operators from Fisheries Cooperative Associations. The fishing cooperatives have responded negatively, arguing the move could push them out of the market. Many academics say that the proposed system would make coastal communities and ecosystems vulnerable to exploitation and abandonment.

Regardless, Murai has asked the central government to assign a special fishing zone where companies could fish with the same access to fishing licenses that cooperatives have, The Christian Science Monitor reports. Masahiro Yamao, a fisheries expert at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biosphere Science, believes the Miyagi proposal is a test case for a larger reform of the fishing industry, which was already suffering from financial troubles and withering fish stocks.

THAILAND - Thai shrimp exports are facing tougher quality inspections by importing countries concerned about diseases arising from floods, says Panisuan Jamnarnwej, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association. He said random quality inspections had increased fivefold for shipments to the United States, though exporters confirmed there have been no disease outbreaks. The association strictly monitors product quality. But frozen shrimp producers are worried that the worsening floods may affect the transport of carbon dioxide used in the freezing process.

It is shipped from Rayong to factories in the Mahachai area of Samut Sakhon. Some factories require up to three deliveries of carbon dioxide a day. Also threatening the frozen food industry are power outages that will force factories to use generators, which require fuel. "If fuel cannot be delivered to factories, the whole industry would be damaged," he said. Considering these obstacles, the industry expects exports will drop by 7% this year from 350,000 tonnes exported last year. Paiboon Ponsuwanna, president of the Thai National Shippers Council, said shipping via marine transport had dropped by 10-15% so far but would likely contract by 30% this year, following earlier projections of 20% growth.

This is because so many factories are inundated, particularly exporters shipping computer parts, integrated circuits, and automobile parts. Though some exporters are still manufacturing, many cannot bring their products to ports in time to meet shipping schedules. Normally exports are most active in the fourth quarter with holiday season orders, driving 15% average annual growth. "It's worrisome this year due to the flood. It will be difficult for Thailand to depend greatly on exports as in the past. The flooding impact will likely linger until the first quarter next year," said Mr Paiboon.