Historians theorize that Japanese commercial fishing dates back nine thousand years, with formalized management dating back to the 9th century. Some of the oldest records concern the freshwater fishery on Lake Biwa, and the territorial rights of the villages there haven’t changed significantly in over 1,000 years.

The dawn of Japanese fishing management came via the manorial system, when emperors granted villages specific rights to weirs. It wasn’t until the 13th century that management concerning mobile gear, such as hook and line, were mentioned.

During the feudal era (referred to as the Edo Period, 1603-1867) Japan was organized by a hierarchal system, the country then divided into fiefdoms, with clearly demarcated agricultural boundaries. These boundaries were eventually extended into the sea, delineating specific boundaries for the coastal villages, the lines usually representing an extension of that village’s agricultural territory.

Over the years, villages came to be designated as either agriculturally based (jikata) or fishery based (urakata). These designations made village taxation easier for the lords, with tax laws differing between the two types of villages. Eventually, the fishery-based villages were split into species-specific fishing communities.

The Sea Division Law of 1719 served to formally divide some areas of Japan, such as Okinawa, into sea territories, in the same manner as the land had been split into agricultural territories. This law gave villages—regardless of their economic stature of fishing or farming—exclusive rights to their territory. Accordingly, there was no national involvement in the fisheries, and any regulations were local.

However, some villages did share common grounds. But these commons weren’t free-for-all fisheries; instead, they were divided according to gear and species types. Some areas had strict guidelines to prevent overfishing—so localized was the theory and practice—such as banning bottom gillnets or mesh trawl nets. Even seaweed was harvested seasonally, with the spawning season closed to protect the fragile fish eggs.

As Japan evolved commercially, socially and politically, the fisheries were left out of the increasing bureaucracy, and villages maintained control of their territories throughout the rest of the Edo Period.

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