{"id":8957,"date":"2024-09-24T13:35:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/?p=8957"},"modified":"2025-12-03T16:58:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T20:58:23","slug":"overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By: Fenjie Chen and Shems Jud<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">A ground-breaking shift in Japan\u2019s fisheries management<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> is happening<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">It <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">is <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">aim<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">ing<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> to<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">restore <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">fish <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">stocks and<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">recover harvests<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">to achieve sustainable management and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">utilization<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">But many<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> fishers <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">have been<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">unaware <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">ow<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> these<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> reforms<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">impact<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> their <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">daily<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> operation<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">They<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">have limited<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">understanding<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">o<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">f <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">how they can <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">contribute to the reform process and<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">,<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">therefore<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">, have shown<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> resist<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">ance<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> and delay<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> in reform imp<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">lementation<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">. <\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">Environmental Defense Fund staff worked directly with <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\">fishers<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9373745 BCX0\"> to find out why.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW9373745 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559731&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8959\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8959\" style=\"width: 279px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-8959\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"279\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture1.png 313w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture1-225x300.png 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The new roadmap released in 2024 by the Fishery Agency of Japan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">The reforms began in 2018 and took effect in 2020.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> It was<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">first time <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">in history that <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">major<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> comprehensive reforms<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">were<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> mandated with a strong commitment to science-based, robust management practices.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> While this milestone is commendable,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> achieving such significant reforms is no easy feat<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">\u2014look no further than<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> the history of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">fis<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">he<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">r<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">ies management reforms in the U.S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">. It <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">require<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> substantial time, effort, and collaboration to<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">realize the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\"> full potential<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">of these <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">changes <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">on the water<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180888020 BCX0\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW180888020 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559731&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Successful reform also requires adaptability. Upon passing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/media\/edf-applauds-progress-national-fishing-reform-japan\">initial Fishery Reform Act<\/a> years ago, Japan released a roadmap with goals to fully implement the reform by 2024. The Fisheries Agency of Japan released an updated roadmap in 2024, recognizing this short timeframe for achieving substantial management upgrades, as well as technical implementation challenges and pushback from some in industry. This adjusted &#8220;Phase Two Roadmap&#8221; aims to complete the reform activities and recover the fishery by 2030.<\/p>\n<p>The second phase not only seeks to fulfill the initially planned reforms but also to upgrade the existing management system. Key elements include ensuring more robust stock assessments (such as integrating environmental factors), incorporating recreational fishing management, and fostering effective cooperative-level voluntary management. The ultimate goal is to recover harvest volumes to 4.44 million metric tons, an approximately 50% increase.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>EDF has been engaged in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/oceans\/japan\">Japan&#8217;s fisheries work<\/a> since 2016. Through EDF\u2019s local engagement, we\u2019ve identified a persisting critical challenge: Many fishers remain unfamiliar with changes to the reform and the release of the roadmap. Others are resistant to the new reforms, concerned about how these new management practices will impact their current operations and income. To date, there has been insufficient effort to address these concerns and communication challenges, which are currently hindering the active adoption of new management practices.<\/p>\n<p>In response, EDF initiated conversations with the Fisheries Agency of Japan to introduce a stakeholder education, engagement, and trust-building\u00a0platform designed to provide fishers\u00a0with opportunities for direct dialogue with researchers and\u00a0both local and national\u00a0government officials. The program offers tailored education for fishers, helping them understand stock assessments and the management practices applied to their fisheries, while also allowing researchers and government officials to learn from the local knowledge and perspectives of fishers. This initiative, modeled on the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/mrep.gmri.org\/\">U.S. Marine Resource Education Program,<\/a><\/u>\u00a0also aims to foster trust-building among these three stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Collaborative Pilot Program<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8960\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8960\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8960 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture3.jpg 853w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8960\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The FRA research Sakuma Kei provided an excellent interactive style presentation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Because of these efforts, the Fisheries Agency of Japan, in collaboration with the Fisheries Research Agency, agreed to pilot this effort with EDF. With support from other key fisheries stakeholders, EDF established a steering committee for this pilot, comprised of researchers, NGOs, fishers, government officials, and industry associations. Under the guidance of the Fisheries Agency, the steering committee selected the snow crab fishery in the Sea of Japan for the pilot, one of Japan&#8217;s most well-managed and historically significant fisheries, also known for its high-value unit price.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing from the U.S. experience, the steering committee designed a curriculum tailored to the needs of local fishers after conducting a pre-survey. The focus was on creating an easy-to-understand, interactive program that would be well-received by fishers. This diligent and intensive preparation led to nearly double the expected number of applications from fishers. In late July, EDF, in collaboration with the steering committee, successfully convened the two-day pilot in Kyoto, a central hub for fishers from six prefectures who catch snow crabs using traps and trawling.<\/p>\n<p>The pilot used interactive games to help fishers understand fishery density mapping, a common method for assessing snow crab resources and other economically important fisheries in Japan. It also covered essential scientific terminologies like maximum sustainable yield and spawning potential ratios, linking these to quota determinations that directly impact fishers\u2019 daily operations. Fishers were introduced to national, prefectural, and regional management measures for snow crabs, highlighting both Japanese and international case studies on effective management. They also learned about the challenges of implementing these management practices and the economic reality that more harvest does not always equate to higher income.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8961\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8961\" style=\"width: 540px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8961\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/Picture4-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture4-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/Picture4.jpg 1269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Group photo of all participants including the steering committee members<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Positive Feedback and Future Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The two-day pilot concluded with positive feedback from fishers, many of whom expressed a desire for EDF and key fisheries stakeholders to continue this effort.\u00a0 Fishers also provided valuable feedback for future improvements, including designing slides in a more accessible way, reducing the intensity of the program, and incorporating more interaction during each presentation. They also suggested including additional topics, such as reviving shrinking coastal fishing communities and discussing climate impacts in relation to science and management.<\/p>\n<p>Following the pilot, the steering committee reviewed the event to evaluate its effectiveness and areas for improvement, discussing next steps for continuing this program in Japan. Prefectural government officials expressed their desire to continue such efforts, while the Fisheries Research Agency and other key stakeholders recognized the importance of educating fishers and acknowledged the effectiveness of this program model in connecting all parties on the same platform simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>EDF sees this initiative as a critical first attempt in Japan to equip fishers with the knowledge needed to implement local management effectively, reduce friction between fishers and managers, and facilitate the smooth implementation of reforms. Moreover, researchers and government officials will have the opportunity to learn from fishers, gaining valuable feedback on current science and management practices, and over the long term, forging a positive partnership for managing common resources together, which is ultimately beneficial for any fisheries management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Fenjie Chen and Shems Jud A ground-breaking shift in Japan\u2019s fisheries management is happening. It is aiming to restore fish stocks and recover harvests to achieve sustainable management and utilization. But many fishers have been unaware of how these reforms impact their daily operation. They have limited understanding of how they can contribute to &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2974,"featured_media":8983,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55584,44],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-8957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-2","category-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By: Fenjie Chen and Shems Jud A ground-breaking shift in Japan\u2019s fisheries management is happening. It is aiming to restore fish stocks and recover harvests to achieve sustainable management and utilization. But many fishers have been unaware of how these reforms impact their daily operation. They have limited understanding of how they can contribute to ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EDFish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"812\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"EDF Oceans\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"EDF Oceans\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"EDF Oceans\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d\"},\"headline\":\"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1058,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/18\\\/files\\\/\\\/EDFish-Header-3.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"International\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/\",\"name\":\"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/18\\\/files\\\/\\\/EDFish-Header-3.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/18\\\/files\\\/\\\/EDFish-Header-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/18\\\/files\\\/\\\/EDFish-Header-3.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":812},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/24\\\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/\",\"name\":\"EDFish\",\"description\":\"Innovating for healthy oceans\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d\",\"name\":\"EDF Oceans\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.edf.org\\\/edfish\\\/author\\\/edfoceans\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish","og_description":"By: Fenjie Chen and Shems Jud A ground-breaking shift in Japan\u2019s fisheries management is happening. It is aiming to restore fish stocks and recover harvests to achieve sustainable management and utilization. But many fishers have been unaware of how these reforms impact their daily operation. They have limited understanding of how they can contribute to ...","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/","og_site_name":"EDFish","article_published_time":"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":812,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"EDF Oceans","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"EDF Oceans","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/"},"author":{"name":"EDF Oceans","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/#\/schema\/person\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d"},"headline":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan","datePublished":"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/"},"wordCount":1058,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png","articleSection":["International","Policy"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/","name":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan - EDFish","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png","datePublished":"2024-09-24T17:35:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-03T20:58:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/#\/schema\/person\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/\/EDFish-Header-3.png","width":1200,"height":812},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/09\/24\/overcoming-communication-barriers-and-equipping-fishers-the-key-to-successful-fisheries-reform-in-japan\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Overcoming Communication Barriers and Equipping Fishers: The Key to Successful Fisheries Reform in Japan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/","name":"EDFish","description":"Innovating for healthy oceans","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/#\/schema\/person\/31a1e71336edfeb78bf40a32e6cd715d","name":"EDF Oceans","url":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/author\/edfoceans\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2974"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8957"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9159,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8957\/revisions\/9159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8957"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}