Japan to provide conditional aid to fishermen hit by high fuel prices

The Japanese government said Tuesday it would provide emergency aid to the fishing industry to help offset rising fuel prices, but linked the assistance to efforts by fishermen to become more efficient.

Japan's fisheries ministry said it would earmark 74.5 billion yen (US$693 million) for a set of aid programs that are meant to encourage fishermen to cut back on their use of fuel and reform their industry.

"This isn't just something where the government outright pays for the increase in fuel prices," said Nobutaka Machimura, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary.

One program will pay 90 percent of the cost of fuel increases since December, but only for fishermen who team up to cut the amount of fuel they consume. Many Japanese fisherman currently work alone.

Another program will provide no-interest loans for fishermen to purchase advanced, fuel-efficient engines.

The government will also provide funds to encourage fishermen to sell their catch more directly to consumers, thus cutting out middlemen and increasing their profits.

The measures were introduced after Japanese fisherman staged the industry's largest-ever strike on July 14, a one-day protest against rising fuel prices that organizers said involved 200,000 boats and 400,000 workers.

Japan's fishing industry is a source of national pride, but fish are becoming a smaller part of the national diet. Faced with the shift in eating patterns at home, cheaper competition from abroad and stocks depleted by years of overfishing, Japanese fishermen say they are fighting to survive and cannot bear the rising fuel costs without help from the government.