Eventually something has to happen. The fishing industry can only take so much.
Japanese fishermen go on national strike
By JAY ALABASTER – 1 hour ago
TOKYO (AP) — Fishermen across Japan went on a massive one-day strike Tuesday to protest skyrocketing fuel prices, the latest blow to the country's foundering fish industry.
The strike was expected to be the biggest ever for Japanese fisherman, involving about 200,000 boats from all the country's major fishing unions. A protest march with thousands of demonstrators was planned for midday in central Tokyo.
The one-day stoppage will probably have only a minor effect on local fish prices, though buyers at markets said prices were higher Monday as demand rose in anticipation of shortages.
The rich variety of marine life pulled from Japan's coastal waters has long served as the country's staple food source, and the origin of its raw fishy delicacies famous around the world. Japan's fisherman are a source of national pride, and the country has flouted international pressure to stop whaling and adopt tougher environmental standards.
But Japanese are gradually losing their taste for fish, as they eat more meat products and opt for meals that are easier to prepare. Faced with the shift in eating patterns at home, cheaper competition from abroad and stocks depleted by years of overfishing, Japan's fishermen say they are fighting to survive and cannot bear rising fuel costs without help from the government.
"Fisherman have exceeded the limits of what they can do on their own, and in the current situation face mounting losses when they set out to catch fish," the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations said in a statement.
The federation, which represents almost half a million members in Japan's fishing industry, has backed the strike, joining a host of other organizations. They say boat fuel prices have tripled over the last three years and are calling for swift government measures including tax breaks and financial support.
Last month a squid fishing association said around 3,000 squid boats halted operations across Japan due to skyrocketing fuel costs, the first strike by the domestic fishing industry to protest soaring oil prices.
Tuesday's strike by Japanese fisherman is the latest in an international wave of protests by workers in fuel-intensive industries. Truckers, taxi cab drivers and fisherman in Asia, Europe and the U.S. have gone on strike to demand their governments provide relief from soaring fuel costs.
