Illegal poaching is a crime! “I don’t know it’s forbidden” can’t be an excuse!

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Japan’s seas are home to a variety of fish, shellfish, and seaweed, but poaching has become a problem.

To prevent poaching, the law was changed in 2018. Violators will face heavy penalties.

[Subjects to illegal poaching]

Abalone (awabi), sea cucumbers (namako), glass eel fry (young fish) (shirasu unagi)

→ Penalty: imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million yen.

Vôngole (asari), clams (hamaguri), sea snail (sazae), Ise-ebi lobster, octopus (tako), sea urchins (uni), wakame algae, etc.

→ Fines of up to 1 million yen.

If you don’t follow the rules, you could be punished for illegal fishing.

See examples of illegal fishing below:

• Example) I was fishing and happened to catch an octopus, so I took it home.
• Example) I was playing on the beach and found a sea cucumber and picked it up.
• Example) I thought it was okay to eat it myself.
• Example) I thought it was okay to eat even just a little.

Even if you are only going to eat it with your family and do not intend to sell it to anyone, do not catch it.

If you do happen to catch one, please return it to the sea immediately.

“ Rules for catching sea creatures” 捉海洋生物的规则 (in Chinese)

“ Rules for catching sea creatures” Aturan untuk menangkap makhluk laut (in Indonesian)

“ Rules for catching sea creatures” Quy tắ c đánh bắ t sinh vắ t biể n (in Vietnamese)

Contact information *Only in Japanese

Daiyon Kanku Kaijou Hoanbu Keibi Kyunanbu Keijika (第四管区海上保安部警備救難部刑事課)

TEL: 052-661-1611

Mie-ken Nōrin Suisanbu Suisan Shigen Kanrika (三重県農林水産部水産資源管理課)

TEL: 059-224-2582