Territoriality and the Commons: Fluctuation of Inland Fisheries Resources and Its Environmental Implications during the 1890s of Meiji, Japan

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  • なわばりと共有思想―1890年代日本の内水面における水産資源の変動と環境問題―

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Abstract

<p>Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has promoted its modernization and industrialization schemes under the name of development and progress of the country. Despite economic growth and success in industrial sectors, the processes that followed during these 100 years have, at the same time, brought about environmental degradation, widespread pollution, a loss of biological diversity and failures in sustainable use of local resources by local populations.</p><p>While debates on appropriate ways of development and wise use of the environment have been one of the critical issues, dichotomic parity of the discussion between development and conservation goals does not seem to be effective. This may be primarily associated with the diverse nature of environmental uses by individuals and groups of different interests and motivation, and the existence of complicated territorial rights and relevant practices in the mountains, rivers and coastal waters.</p><p>In this paper I aim to analyze environmental perceptions on the change of freshwater fish yields, using a book on Special Research on Fisheries published by the Meiji National Government during the 1890s (Suisanjiko-Tokubetsu-Chosa).</p><p>Various factors are described as significant for the increase or decrease of fish populations. Among of these, mining, increasing number of fishermen, dumping of agricultural fertilizer, deforestation etc. are major causes of the decrease, while artificial insemination of salmon, and strict fisheries regulations are regarded as important measures for the increase.</p><p>Since that period, the idea that industrial development should have top priority over environmental conservation and fisheries development has unfortunately lasted to the present-day. To the contrary, the idea that rivers link mountains with the sea in ecological terms must be incorporated into alternative designs for development and conservation.</p>

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