http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japanfish15-2008jul15,0,4233571.story
Fishermen say it's too expensive to take out their boats. They plan a strike Tuesday, sparking fears of a food crisis in a nation where seafood is a staple.
By Don Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 15, 2008
OTARU, JAPAN -- Shigeru Honma had not been to Tokyo in more than 30 years. But on July 1, the 58-year-old fisherman from this port city in northern Japan dusted off an old suit and traveled to the capital to deliver a letter to the prime minister.

Soaring fuel prices are killing Japan's fishing industry, it said. Give us money, or oil.

There's been no response from the prime minister's office, so fishery cooperatives have organized a nationwide strike today with 200,000 vessels halting operations. About 3,600 fishermen and supporters are to protest in Tokyo.

"We are very gentle, but it's time to say something now," said Honma, a third-generation fisherman.

Spiraling fuel and food costs have sparked riots and protests in many countries. In Japan, where demonstrations are relatively rare, the rising prices are threatening a way of life in this seafood-loving nation.

"If we lose our fishing industry, we Japanese will face a food crisis," said Masahiko Ariji, a fishery specialist at the Amita Institute for Sustainable Economics in Kyoto. About two-thirds of the nation's fishing groups were in the red last year, he said. With fuel prices higher this year, some "are about to collapse."

The price of gas at Japan's pumps has jumped to about $6.40 a gallon from $4.35 in the spring. Taxi and transit companies have bumped up rates, as have airlines. Though prices of tuna, squid and other seafood have risen, fishing companies say they can't easily pass on costs to customers because of competition from imports.

Whether Japan's government will help is not known.