Comparative job satisfaction of fishers in northeast Hokkaido, Japan for coastal fisheries management and aquaculture development

To foster future research directions and propose feasible adaptive management strategies, the factors affecting job satisfaction were examined in Akkeshi and Erimo, two local fishing communities in northeast Hokkaido, Japan, using historical fisheries data and semi-structured questionnaires. Fishers in Akkeshi practice mixed fisheries (capture and aquaculture), whereas in Erimo fishers specialize in capture fisheries. The target species for fisheries and aquaculture are kelp (Laminaria angustata), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in Akkeshi, and kelp and chum salmon in Erimo. The fishers in both areas were moderately satisfied with their jobs, but fishers in Erimo were more satisfied than those in Akkeshi. Satisfaction was directly associated with household size in Akkeshi and Erimo, and was high for fishers practicing oyster aquaculture in Akkeshi. Most fishers (79% in Akkeshi and 84% in Erimo) were unaware of any future target species if the current species declined or went extinct. About 14% of the respondents in Akkeshi mentioned oyster farming as their best alternative in the future. Differences in job satisfaction between the two areas may be attributed to disparities in socio-economic factors and fishery types among fishers. Further comprehensive studies that include allocation of fishing effort among different species, and impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic factors on the resources are required.