This contribution explores local livelihood strategies in shrinking coastal fisheries in Kyushu (Japan) in the context of restructuring global seafood commodity chains and recent changes in national rural policy. It combines theoretical approaches from research into global commodity chains with the concept of rural livelihoods originating from development studies. Even though small-scale fishers in Japan live and work in an industrialized state environment and are safe from extreme risks such as hunger or malnutrition, many are faced with severe insecurity and rely on income diversification strategies similar to many development contexts.
The livelihoods of coastal fishers are increasingly being challenged by a number of developments: Dwindling marine resource stocks, the intensified territorialisation of maritime space, the rising cost of fuel and other inputs, and stagnating fish prices contribute to the declining profitability of this economic sector. Structural transformations on world and national markets are changing the power structures of the seafood business in Japan: the emergence of giant global players in buyer-driven global commodity chains of fishery produce, the proliferation of Japanese supermarket chains, and shifting consumer preferences towards standardized, ready-made, and increasingly imported seafood products. Consequently, the total number as well as the ratio of younger fishers is dramatically decreasing, reinforcing the demise of many rural coastal communities. The urban-rural disparities of postwar Japan have in recent years been further exacerbated not only by spiraling demographic developments but also by detrimental decentralization policies such as the transfer of fiscal responsibilities and taxation sources from the state to communal authorities. As municipalities continue to struggle with financial deficits, the dismantling of social infrastructure as well as a wave of municipal mergers since 2005 has further rendered rural living an unappealing choice especially for the young.
In consequence, public programs for the “revitalization” of rural areas in Japan are a top priority today. Seeking innovative solutions, fishers as well as policy makers and civil society organisations develop a range of reform strategies, often centering on ideas like the establishment of alternative marketing channels, the creation of new value-added products, and the invention and marketing of local traditions. While consumer preferences are shifting to the products of large-scale global commodity chains, fishing communities are reshaped into tourist destinations and places of entertainment and cultural consumption. These programs stress competition among communities and imply quite demanding readjustments of fishers that are expected to act as self-marketing entrepreneurs. Based on fieldwork in Kyushu in 2010, 2017 and 2018, this contribution investigates the disruptions caused by these transformations in coastal fishing communities and the ways in which fishing households are eagerly trying to adapt to these changes.
