Donations for squid fishermen surge amid N. Korean concerns

December 4, 2017

Sakata, Yamagata Pref.- A northeastern Japan municipality's request for donations to support squid-fishing boats operating in the Sea of Japan through the "furusato nozei" system has met with a good response amid growing regional security concerns.

According to the Sakata city government in Yamagata Prefecture, over 10 million yen, twice the target sum, has already been collected through the system, under which people can make donations to local governments of their choice and be eligible for tax deductions.

City officials said the plight of squid fishermen is believed to have attracted heightened public attention after a series of problems linked to North Korea in their fishing areas, including repeated ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang.

Every June, 11 fishing boats leave Port of Sakata for approximately eight months of squid fishing.

After the fishermen set out this year, their fishing areas in the Sea of Japan faced incidents related to the reclusive country such as missiles falling into the sea and illegal fishing operations by North Korean boats.

In July, a crew member of what appeared to be an illegally operating North Korean vessel pointed a rifle at a Japanese Fisheries Agency patrol ship.

After the incident, the fisheries cooperative association in Yamagata Prefecture and other bodies urged the Japanese government to devise countermeasures.

The Sakata city government invited donations in August, calling for people to "come together to support the squid-fishing fleet operating at sea." It used "government crowdfunding," a mechanism in which local governments ask for donations via the Internet through the furusato nozei system while specifying the use for contributions.

The amount of donations reached the target of 5.35 million yen by the end of August and surpassed 10 million yen before the fundraising project's deadline at the end of December.

Donations will be used mainly to construct a simple bathing facility for fishermen in the port and pay for rental vehicles used by them for trips to downtown areas for recreation and shopping after port calls.

The sharp rise in donations came after the city government collected only about 20 pct of the target amount of money in a one-month campaign in May, before the departure of the squid-fishing boats.

"The financial support is really good news," said Sakari Nishimura, a 50-year-old senior official at Yamagata's fisheries cooperative association. "We hope that the donations will improve the fishermen's living environment at a time when it is difficult for them to engage in fishing with peace of mind."

Donations are accepted at the furusato nozei system's portal site at https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/190. Jiji Press