Tokyo
HARD bargaining lies ahead for Japan鈥檚 National Space Development
Association (NASDA) as it tries to reconcile the objections of local fishermen
to an increased number of rocket launches with the country鈥檚 aspirations in
space.
Fishermen from the southern island of Tanegashima and surrounding
prefectures have to stay in port when rockets are sent up from the island鈥檚
launch site. So under the current agreement the launches are restricted to just
98 days a year. Last year, however, NASDA signed a deal with the Hughes
Corporation to send up a total of 10 satellites, and the agency will need to
carry out more launches as it develops its unmanned shuttle and other space
activities. In total, the agency wants to extend its launch 鈥渨indow鈥� to up to
200 days a year.
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鈥淭he fishermen are not allowed into the restricted area for just a few hours
during a launch,鈥� says Yasutaka Moriguchi of the space division of the
government鈥檚 Science and Technology Agency, which oversees NASDA. 鈥淏ut it takes
time for them to get from the port to that area, so effectively they can鈥檛 fish
for one or two days around each launch.鈥�
Moriguchi says NASDA plans to launch 10 satellites a year over the next few
years, increasing to 15 around the year 2000. 鈥淭hat would theoretically mean a
ban on fishing for up to 30 days a year,鈥� says Moriguchi, who is handling
negotiations with the fishermen. 鈥淏ut sometimes the launch is delayed due to
weather or mechanical trouble, during which time the fishermen can鈥檛 fish. So
the total time could be more.鈥�
The government gives generous subsidies to the local fishing
associations in exchange for their cooperation, and much of the negotiation
relates to increasing this form of compensation for fishing time lost. But the
issue may not be as simple as that. An early experimental rocket that exploded
35 years ago at a launch pad in the north of Japan has led to fears among rural
communities that rocket launches are potentially dangerous. In addition, there
has been some speculation that normal launches scare the fish.
鈥淧eople have said that the launches may cause a direct or indirect effect on
the fish,鈥� says Sachio Nakamura, chief negotiator for the Kagoshima Fishing
Association. But he admits there are no data to prove this. 鈥淲e are thinking
about whether we can adjust in order to cooperate with the launches. I hope
negotiations will be completed within this year.鈥�
Moriguchi also hopes the two sides can reach agreement soon, but says the end
is not yet in sight. He admits this kind of bartering over launches seems to be
peculiar to Japan. 鈥淛apan is a consensus society. There is a feeling in this
country that we have to work out our differences.鈥� Moriguchi says as far as he
is aware, the Americans do not have the same problems when they launch rockets
from Cape Canaveral.