Institutional Changes to Fisheries Management Systems Caused by the TAC in Japan

Research PaperThe purpose of this study is to estimate the institutional change to the fisheries management system caused by the TAC system in Japan, referring to the case study of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the western Japan Sea. Snow crab fisheries management in Japan has been carried out based on Japanese original management institution for thirty years. It is characterized by voluntary management by fishermen and input-control such as vessel number limit and fishing gear regulation. This voluntary management system has an ante-monitoring and interim-monitoring function. The TAC system, which was adapted for snow crab fisheries in 1997, adds a post-monitoring function. Consequently, the snow crab fisheries management system constitutes three stages of monitoring. Moreover, this institutional mechanism provides incentives of compliance with regulations to the related fishermen