全国一斉休漁

(Jul. 16, 2008) The Yomiuri Shimbun

Fishermen walking a fine line

全国一斉休漁　漁師らの窮状を救うには（7月16日付・読売社説）

Due to soaring fuel costs, the more often fishermen go fishing, the greater the debt they find themselves in. As it stands, 30 percent of fishermen could see their businesses go belly-up.

燃料費の高騰で、漁に出るほど赤字になる。このままでは３割の漁師が廃業しかねない――。

(belly-up=倒産する)

About 200,000 fishing boats halted operations nationwide for the first time Tuesday to raise public awareness of their predicament. Heavy oil used as fuel for fishing boats has almost tripled in price over the past five years. This year alone, the price has jumped 1.5-fold, and fuel costs now soak up 30 percent of a boat's total operating costs.

日本漁業の窮状を訴えるため、２０万隻の漁船が初めて、全国一斉に休漁した。

漁船の燃料となる重油価格は、この５年で約３倍に上昇した。今年だけでも１・５倍になり、操業コストに占める燃料費の比率は３割を超える。

(predicament=苦境、窮地) (fold=倍／折りたたみ) (soak up=染み渡る、浸透する)

The Japan Fisheries Cooperatives and other major fisheries groups, which called on member fishermen to suspend fishery operations, maintain that energy-saving efforts, such as driving their boats at slower speeds, have reached their limit. They have asked the government for direct assistance, such as subsidies to help cover fuel costs.

一斉休漁を呼びかけた全国漁業協同組合連合会などは、「船の速度を落とすなどの省エネ努力も、もはや限界だ」と主張し、政府に対して、燃料費の補てんなどの直接的な補助を求めている。

However, it is not only fishermen who are being squeezed by soaring crude oil prices. Farmers and the transportation industry are in the same boat.

Considering the government's severe financial circumstances, finding the funds for direct assistance to offset soaring fuel costs, which could lead to the pork-barrel spending of tax money, would be very difficult.

だが、原油高に苦しんでいるのは漁師だけではない。農家や運輸業界も同様だ。厳しい財政事情を考えれば、税金のばらまきにつながってしまう燃料費への直接補助は困難だろう。

(offset=埋め合わせする、相殺する) (pork-barrel=大盤振る舞いの)

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Give aid where needed

（必要な部分には援助すべき）

There is a case to be made for giving government assistance to fishing crews that stay in port while others head out on the brine on a rotation system. However, the assistance should be extended on the premise it will lead to structural reform of the fisheries industry.

複数の漁船が輪番で計画的に出漁する場合、残った船への休漁補償などには、国の支援が検討されてもいい。その場合でも、漁業の構造改革につなげていくことを前提とすべきだ。

(brine=海、大洋) (premise=前提、前提条件)

Within European Union member nations that are considering support measures for fishermen, just like in Japan, there is strong backing for linking this aid to measures to improve management of the fisheries industry, such as by scrapping some fishing boats.

日本と同様に漁師への支援策を検討中の欧州連合（ＥＵ）でも、「支援する場合は、多すぎる漁船を一部廃船にするなどの体質強化策とセットで行われるべきだ」とする声が強い。

(backing=支持、援助)

The Japanese fisheries industry should present a blueprint for how to strengthen its management as a basis for government assistance.

日本の漁業界も、国の支援を求める根拠として、漁業の体質をどう強化していくのか、青写真を示す必要がある。

The suspension of fishery operations also provides an opportunity to rethink how this nation's fish distribution system should operate and how consumers should buy fish. The surgical knife of reform should start hacking away at the distribution system.

一斉休漁は、流通業者や消費者も、魚消費のあり方を見直す契機になる。特に、流通システムにはメスを入れなければならない。

(hacking away=hack away=うまくやりとりする、なんとかこなす)

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Short end of the stick

（お手上げ状態からの脱却）

Because fish prices are decided at auctions, fishermen have little wiggle room to pass on the increase in fuel costs to consumers. Adding to their woes, distributors charge a fee to throw away any fish left unsold.

魚の価格はセリで決まり、燃料費の上昇分を転嫁しにくい。しかも、流通業者は、売れ残って捨てる魚のコストまで、流通経費に上乗せしている。

(wiggle=揺れ動くこと) (woe=苦痛、苦悩)

Of a fish sold for 100 yen, a supermarket takes a cut of 60 yen and a fisherman's share is just 24 yen, only a fraction of which is profit after necessary costs have been paid.

１００円の魚が売れても、６０円はスーパーの取り分で、漁師の収入は２４円だけだ。経費を差し引けば、もうけはいくらも出ない。

(fraction=ごく少量、僅か、断片)

Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that soaring fuel costs are pushing fishermen into the red. Efforts must be made to increase the money that goes to fishermen's pockets by streamlining the distribution system and ensuring sensible amounts of fish are purchased at markets.

これでは燃料費が高騰すれば、たちまち赤字になるのも無理はない。流通の効率化や計画的な仕入れを進めることで、漁師の取り分を増やす努力が必要だ。

Ocean-going tuna fishing boats, which have been left reeling by fuel costs, have decided to halt operations for a lengthy period from August. Retail prices of tuna already are creeping up.

燃料費の負担増が大きい遠洋マグロ漁は、８月以降の長期休漁も決まっている。すでに小売価格も、じわじわと上昇している。

(reel=ぐらつく、よろめく) (lengthy=長期の) (creep=這い上がる)

Higher fish prices could further push consumers away buying fishery products. The fisheries industry is prepared to order another nationwide suspension of operations if the government does not meet their requests. However, frequently halting operations across the nation, which will push up fish prices, will not sit well with the public.

魚の値上がりは、消費者の魚離れを一層助長しかねない。漁業界は、政府の対応次第では再度の一斉休漁も辞さない構えだが、魚価上昇をもたらす頻繁な休漁は、国民の理解を得られまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 16, 2008)

（2008年7月16日01時52分  読売新聞）