A court battle that lasted for a little more than two decades over whether to open floodgates built as part of a state land reclamation project in Isahaya Bay was effectively brought to an end by the latest Supreme Court ruling.
A legally twisting situation, in which rulings over whether to open the gates in a dike in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, were split among different courts, was resolved, but deep confrontation remains between the central government and people engaging in the local fisheries industry who have sought the opening of the gates, and further possible twists and turns are expected before a complete settlement of the issue.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has long indicated its policy of not opening the gates, instead aiming for reconciliation through a fund worth about 10 billion yen to promote the local fisheries industry.
