15. Adopting a Blue Justice Lens for Japanese Small-Scale Fisheries: Important Insights from the Case of the Inatori Kinme Fishery

With the concept of the ‘Blue Economy’ filtering into Japan, there are growing concerns about small-scale fisheries being marginalized in the context of relevant policies. In particular, a recent update to the Fisheries Act, with its prioritization of seichosangyoka (growth industrialization), will force a profound change in Japan’s fishing industry. In addition, concerns also include coordination issues between the fishing industry and other sectors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to promote the concept of Blue Justice in Japanese small-scale fisheries. This chapter considers a recreational fishing intrusion experienced by Kinme (splendid alfonsino) fishers of the small fishing community of Inatori in Shizuoka Prefecture, for whom the Kinme fishery is the bread-and-butter job, assessing this conflict as an injustice issue. At first glance, it is a problem on a tiny scale, impacting only a small portion of the fishing population. However, the study argues that this is not merely a coordination problem between the professional and recreational fisheries. This chapter demonstrates the position and challenges of small-scale fisheries in the current period of significant change. It suggests that the concerns of small-scale fisheries are being left behind under an ‘equality principle’ with the waning of the Difference Principle.