Revitalize the Fishing Industry in Northeast Japan

“There was no budget for the Media Room.  Without Peace Winds support, our students would have no access to special classes with audio/visual capability.”  Principal Seto of Koyo Maritime High School knew that the school’s empty Media Room detracted from his students learning experience.  The former Media Room, destroyed along with the rest of Koyo Maritime High School in the March 2011 tsunami, was a favorite among students, a place to consume and create using various technologies.  With Peace Winds support, the delighted Principal Seto was able to reopen the Koyo Media Room.

In late April 2012 Peace Winds equipped the Koyo Media Room with a screen, projector, laptop, speakers, microphones and monitor.  For Peace Winds the Media Room represented an opportunity to not only help Koyo students, but also to support the future of the fishing industry in the area.  The room is actively used now by Koyo students, faculty, the PTA and even nearby community groups who need a meeting space.

Koyo Maritime High School in Kesennuma trains young men and women to work in the fishing industry.  The school has operated for over 100 years, but temporarily closed after the March 2011 tsunami.  Located near the sea, Koyo Maritime High School was the only Kesennuma high school destroyed in March 2011.  Luckily, all Koyo students and staff took refuge on the school’s roof during the tsunami, and no lives were lost.  In November 2011, Koyo reopened in a temporary building provided by the Japan government.

Koyo Maritime High School covers grades 10 to 12 and has an average enrollment of 350 students.  The students are split into three different departments: the Marine Information Department, which teaches sailing, navigation, and other maritime skills; the Industry Department, which focuses on business and food processing skills; and the Machine Technology Department, which teaches machinery and engines.

Links:

• PWA Website

"Some of our fishermen are already back out at sea.  Others have new boats and are ready to go, but the government has not yet decided where the docks will go.  Our guys are frustrated, but we are making progress, bit by bit."

Last week a group of us visited two fishing cooperatives in the small coastal town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi. The Shizugawa Fishing Cooperative and the Udatsu Fishing Cooperative together support nearly 1,500 members in the industry that drives the economy in these small coastal towns.  Peace Winds America (PWA) and Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), with support from GlobalGiving donors, are helping these coops get back on their feet after the majority of their boats and many lives were lost.

The first order of business was to help the coops replace the facilities and office equipment lost to the tsunami.  The quote above was from the director of one of the coops. We were having coffee in the coop's new headquarters, which was made up of several temporary housing units bolted together.  Around us was a beehive of activity, with fishermen coming in and out, and people reviewing spreadsheets on computer screens.  They were reviewing the previous day's catch, checking on market prices, and deciding where to fish the next day.

Despite a tragic number of deaths, the director had rebuilt the roster of coop members to its previous level.  That was impressive given the total devastation of the town, which had few houses left.  Nearly all the survivors were living in temporary housing units scattered throughout the area; many can't rebuild on their previous land, because the water level rose over a meter after the earthquake.

"What are your biggest remaining challenges?" we asked.

"Well, the big thing is where we are going to put the docks, as I said," he replied.  "Until the government decides that, we can't get back up to capacity.

"And then there is the question of boats.  We lost much of our fleet, and even though many of our fishermen have the funds to buy new boats, the manufacturers can't keep up with demand, and there are long delays.

"One of there things I am most worried about is the older fishermen.  If we don't get them back out on the water soon, they will never go back.  Many of them lost wives and other family, and they are very depressed.

"And then there is the issue of radiation.  We have been testing fish intensively, and the readings are very low.  But the government won't announce what the acceptable limits are, so some consumers don't trust the fish, however low the levels are.  That prevents us from selling certain types of fish that people believe are more likely to be affected."

These challenges sounded daunting to me.  But the director was resolute, and notwithstanding the huge tragedy he did not want to dwell on the past. His members had already re-built their revenues to two-thirds of the pre-tsunami level, and he was determined they are going to make a full recovery despite the odds.  It was impossible not to be impressed and inspired and hopeful.  We left the co-op and went to eat lunch at a temporary cafe.  What was on the menu?  Sushi made from the local catch.  It was fantastic.