Black bass, bluegill center of environmental debate

Yomiuri Shimbun

The Environment Ministry and a nationwide fishermen's association have taken exception to a proposal by the Fisheries Agency to allow some lakes in the nation to be stocked with such foreign fish as black bass and bluegill.

The proposal is designed to grant anglers the right to catch such freshwater fish in limited areas, as a "popular pastime," while imposing strict restrictions on the release of such fish in certain other lakes.

However, the Environment Ministry is concerned that the ecosystems native to those areas may be damaged as a result.

The National Federation of Fresh Water Fisheries Cooperative Association is also worried that if the government officially recognizes even only a few foreign fish for sportfishing, it would encourage their secret release into unapproved waters.

As a result of this opposition, the agency has postponed its plan to submit the proposal to an ordinary session of the Diet.

Nevertheless, an anglers association has collected more than 1 million signatures in support of the establishment of official sites where black bass may be caught.

The agency's proposal initially was made in November to the Liberal Democratic Party's committee on fundamental policies for fisheries.

The agency told the committee that to deal with the 2.9 million black bass anglers nationwide, it was necessary to have a comprehensive measure that combined both the confinement and extermination of foreign fish.

The proposal listed three main points:

-- The government should allow black bass fishing in some lakes and set guidelines for the collection of fishing fees.

-- Current prefectural regulations on the release of fish should be upgraded to a national law, and the regulation and extermination of foreign fish outside designated areas should be more strictly carried out.

-- Companies that cultivate and sell foreign fish should be obliged to notify the government of their businesses and the government should have control over the importation of the fish.

Welcoming the proposal, an anglers association spokesperson said: "The reality is that foreign fish are in every lake. It would be better to establish officially recognized fishing sites that can accept foreign fish after they are exterminated from other areas. This would increase the habitat size for native species."

However, a fishing cooperative spokesperson said: "Black bass feed on edible native species such as ayu (sweet fish) and wakasagi (pond smelt). It would be problematic if the government were to recommend fishing for black bass as a legitimate sport. Official recognition of foreign fish might lift the brakes on their secret release."

An environmental group also pointed out that the agency's proposal contradicts the trend in environmental policy aimed at promoting biodiversity.

Every prefecture except Hokkaido and Okinawa regulates the release of black bass.

However, in four areas--Ashinoko lake in Kanagawa Prefecture and Kawaguchi, Sai and Yamanaka lakes in Yamanashi Prefecture--the prefectural governors have authorized black bass fishing.

An agency spokesperson said: "We decided we needed more time to discuss the matter after hearing the various sides of the issue. But the one thing that has not changed is recognition of the need for a measure to prevent damage caused by foreign fish."

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