1Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, 2Faculty of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan
The purpose of this study was to classify kelp farming management bodies based on how they operate and the products they produce. We assumed that bodies that produce similar kelp products have similar operation methods. A total of 72 bodies in Fukushima, Hokkaido during 2004-2009 were classified using three main product-production values, and nine samples were classified by process analysis. The bodies were classified into three types, and in each type, a different part of the production process was considered to be the most worker-intensive. The bodies could be classified based on the constitution of their main products associated with individual operation methods. Bodies changed their operation method depending on the product.