Fishing rights - gyogyōken

Based on the Fisheries Law, this is the right to commercially capture or cultivate specific aquatic plants and animals in specific waters. It is established by license from the prefectural governor, and as a real right, provisions regarding land apply mutatis mutandis.

There are three types of fishing rights: fixed fishing rights, area fishing rights, and common fishing rights, and area fishing rights are further divided into three types, and common fishing rights are further divided into five types. In addition, there is a right to enter fishing grounds that are shared by other fishing cooperatives (fishery associations) and have common fishing rights or specific area fishing rights (five types of aquaculture rights: crack-form aquaculture, seaweed aquaculture, small-piece aquaculture, hanging aquaculture, and bottom-seeding aquaculture) and engage in fishing. This right to enter fishing is not granted by a license from the prefectural governor, but is created when a contract for the establishment of fishing rights is concluded between the association that holds the fishing rights and the association that holds the fishery rights.

In principle, fishing rights are given to self-employed fishermen who work for themselves, and the rights of those who operate their own fisheries are called operator license fishing rights or self-employed fishing rights, and include fixed fishing rights and general area fishing rights, which are area fishing rights excluding specific area fishing. On the other hand, there are fishing rights given to those who do not operate the fishery themselves but solely manage the fishery, and these are called association (group) managed fishing rights, and the licensees are fishing cooperatives and the like. Joint fishing rights, specific area fishing rights, and piscine rights are included in association managed fishing rights, and fisheries that fall under this category are operated by individual members of the association under the fishing rights (piscine rights) exercise rules that are established independently by the fishing rights holders, such as fishery cooperatives, and the rights in such cases are called fishing exercise rights. The fishing rights exercise rules stipulate the qualifications of those who are exercise rights, the management methods for fishing grounds and fisheries, and the matters to be observed.

When a prefectural governor licenses fishing rights, he or she hears the opinions of the Fisheries Adjustment Committee, prepares a "fishing ground plan" for comprehensive and advanced use of the water surface, and decides on the type and content of the fishing rights and makes it public. When a fisherman applies for a license, the fisherman's "eligibility" is examined based on the provisions of the Fisheries Law (Article 14). If there are multiple eligible applicants and there is competition, the governor selects the licensee according to the "priority of licenses" established for each type of fishing right. However, fishing rights have a statutory duration, and (1) common fishing rights, pearl farming, and marine aquaculture area fishing rights are 10 years, and (2) fixed fishing rights, specific area fishing rights, and area fishing rights other than (1) are 5 years.

Although fishing rights themselves are private rights and real rights, in addition to the matters mentioned above, many public restrictions are attached to them. That is, they are strongly characterized as public rights, with prohibitions on transfer, restrictions on the establishment and execution of security interests, prohibitions on lending, restrictions on the disposal of interests, restrictions on real rights claims, and restrictions on the method of exercising them through "restrictive conditions" and "instructions from the Fisheries Adjustment Committee."

[Akira Hasegawa and Katsuji Hiroyoshi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

漁業法に基づき、特定の水面において特定の水産動植物の採捕または養殖を営業として行う権利であり、都道府県知事の免許によって設定され、物権として土地に関する規定が準用される。

　漁業権の種類には、定置漁業権、区画漁業権、共同漁業権の3種類があり、区画漁業権はさらに3種類、共同漁業権は5種類にそれぞれ分類されている。また、入漁権といって、ほかの漁業協同組合（漁協）などが享有する共同漁業権または特定区画漁業権（ひび建て養殖業、藻(そう)類養殖業、小割り式養殖業、垂下(すいか)式養殖業および地蒔(じまき)式養殖業の5種類の養殖漁業権）の漁場に入って漁業を営む権利がある。この入漁権は知事の免許によるものではなく、漁業権者である組合と入漁者である組合との間で入漁権設定の契約を結ぶことによって発生する。

　漁業権は、原則的に自ら働く自営漁業者に与えるとしており、漁業権者が自ら漁業を営む場合の権利を経営者免許漁業権または自営漁業権とよび、定置漁業権と、区画漁業権のなかから特定区画漁業を除いた一般の区画漁業権とがこれに該当する。他方、自らは漁業を営まずにもっぱら漁業管理を行うものに与える漁業権があり、これは組合（団体）管理漁業権とよばれ、漁業協同組合などが被免許権者となる。共同漁業権、特定区画漁業権、入漁権には、この組合管理漁業権があり、この範疇(はんちゅう)に該当する漁業については、漁業権者である漁協等が自主的に制定する漁業権（入漁権）行使規則に基づいて傘下の組合員個々が営むものとされ、その場合の権利を漁業行使権とよぶ。漁業権行使規則では行使権者たる者の資格要件、漁場・漁業の管理方法、遵守事項等が定められる。

　漁業権を都道府県知事が免許するにあたり、知事は漁業調整委員会の意見などを聞き、あらかじめ水面の総合的高度利用のための「漁場計画」をつくり、漁業権の種類、内容などを決めて公示する。漁業者から免許申請があると、本人の「適格性」が漁業法（14条）の規定に基づいて審査され、適格者が複数で競願になったときには、知事は、漁業権の種類ごとに定められている「免許の優先順位」に従って免許者を選定する。ただし漁業権には存続期間が法定されており、(1)共同漁業権、真珠養殖業および海面における水産動物養殖業の区画漁業権は10年、(2)定置漁業権、特定区画漁業権、(1)以外の区画漁業権は5年である。

　漁業権自体は私権・物権であるが、既述の諸事項のほか、多くの公的制約が付せられている。すなわち、移転の禁止、担保物権の設定・実行についての制約、貸付けの禁止、持分処分の制限、物権的請求権の制限、ならびに「制限条件」や「漁業調整委員会指示」による行使方法の制約などで、著しく公権的性格を帯びているといえる。

［長谷川彰・廣吉勝治］

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