2011 Fishing Support Report

December 27, 2011

Beginning with the collection of fishing equipment in Ogatsu, fishing support has been one of the main pillars of volunteer activities coordinated by Peace Boat, along with the provision of more than 100,000 meals and the ongoing clean-up operations that have looked after 2000 cases by mainly short-term and corporate volunteers since June. While the fishing support operations were initially limited to collecting beached fish and fishing equipment, following the vigorous efforts and requests of local fishermen, the support has also developed into assisting oyster farming, planting seeds of Wakame seaweed and scallops, amongst other activities.

These activities were carried out in 16 coastal locations in Ogatsu and the Oshika Peninsula, on 160 days in 2011. They are now stopped temporarily due to the severe winter. Throughout 2011, a total of 10,300 volunteers (7,757 Peace Boat regular and short-term volunteers (including international volunteers) and 2,543 corporate volunteers) took part in this operation.

While providing assistance for aqua-farming season may be restarted in 2012, Peace Boat would first like to extend our appreciation to all those who participated in activities this year, and report on the results of 2011.

● 2011 Peace Boat Fishing Support Activities Report　[ Ishinomaki ]

1.
【 Place 】 Oura
【 Number of Days 】 9 days
【 Number of People 】 71 people (71 PB volunteers)　※Total number of people worked daily
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from work areas→preparing oyster farms

2.
【 Place 】Oharahama
【 Number of Days 】 12 days
【 Number of People 】230 people (144 PB volunteers＋ 86 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port → removing dirt

3.
【 Place 】Ogatsuhama
【 Number of Days 】25 days
【 Number of People 】659 People (517 PB volunteers＋142 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris along the shoreline→ removing debris from Ohara River → cleaning the salmon farming facility

4.
【 Place 】Ogihama
【 Number of Days 】63 days
【 Number of People 】1,563 People (1,195 PB volunteers＋368 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port → collecting buoys and ropes → clean-up of a shrine → preparing seaweed farms → planting seeds of seaweed → preparing oyster farms → oyster farm

5.
【 Place 】Onosaki
【 Number of Days 】40 days
【 Number of People 】747 People (660 PB volunteers＋87 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris → sludge clearance → gathering fishing equipment → harvesting oysters

6.
【 Place 】Koamikurahama
【 Number of Days 】44 days
【 Number of People 】1,359 People (1,009 PB volunteers＋350 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port→ collecting buoys and ropes → cleaning side ditches → preparing oyster farms

7.
【 Place 】Kozumihama
【 Number of Days 】3 days
【 Number of People 】47 People (27 PB volunteers＋20 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port

8.
【 Place 】Kobuchihama
【 Number of Days 】71 days
【 Number of People 】2,738 People (1,836 PB volunteers＋902 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris → collecting scallops → collecting buoys → preparing oyster farms → oyster farming → removing dirt caused by typhoon No.15 → preparing seaweed farms → planting seeds of seaweed

9.
【 Place 】Sudachihama
【 Number of Days 】46 days
【 Number of People 】1,466 People (1,202 PB volunteers＋264 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port and removing oysters from shells → clean-up side ditches → preparing oyster farms → oyster farming →removing dirt caused by typhoon No.15 → preparing seaweed farms → planting seeds of seaweed

10.
【 Place 】Takenohama
【 Number of Days 】1 day
【 Number of People 】24 People (4 PB volunteers＋20 corporate volunteers20)
【 Work Contents 】Removing dirt caused by typhoon No.15

11.
【 Place 】Tashirojima
【 Number of Days 】4 days
【 Number of People 】61 People (61 PB volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the port and ensuring passages → helping with gill nets

12.
【 Place 】Nagahama
【 Number of Days 】5 days
【 Number of People 】382 People (244 PB volunteers＋ 138 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】 Removing debris from the beach

13.
【 Place 】Namiitahama
【 Number of Days 】3 days
【 Number of People 】58 People (58 PB volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing debris from the beach → Sieving sand from the beach

14.
【 Place 】 Funakoshi
【 Number of Days 】14 days
【 Number of People 】155 People (155 PB volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】 Removing debris from the port → making sand bags(anchor of pound net) → assisting fishermen’s women’s club, “Funakoshi Ladies”

15.
【 Place 】Yagawa
【 Number of Days 】3 days
【 Number of People 】98 People (20 PB volunteers＋78 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Removing dirt from a shrine, ensuring waterways

16.
【 Place 】Yoriiso
【 Number of Days 】18 days
【 Number of People 】642 People (554 PB volunteers＋88 corporate volunteers)
【 Work Contents 】Making soil bags (anchor of pound net)→scallop farms

Thank you to all of the volunteers for their hard work, especially considering that for most of them it would have been their first experience working on fishing related activities. Thank you also to the local community members who took the time to teach volunteers how to contribute.

※ Currently, staffs who have been involved in long-term fishing support activities are now working in consultation with the fishing community to build vegetable plots at temporary housing facilities.

Photos: Kataoka Kazushi, Ueno Yoshinori, Nakamura Mitsutoshi

TAGS: Disaster Relief • fishing industry • international volunteers • Ishinomaki • Kanto-Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami • Ogatsu • oysters • Peace Boat • peaceboat • temporary housing • Tsunami • Volunteer • volunteering • Volunteers