The Environmental Dispute Coordination Commission on Tuesday rejected a request by fishermen to determine that a major government reclamation project in Kyushu has damaged the local fishery industry, saying a causal link cannot be scientifically confirmed.

The commission, however, indirectly criticized the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, noting there was not enough data to make a decision, although sharp declines in some fishermen's catches have been observed. The fishermen have been asking the farm ministry to conduct long-term research on the project by opening the dike gates.

The fishermen won a district court order in August 2004 to halt the Isahaya Bay reclamation project in Nagasaki Prefecture, which was authorized by the central government in 1986.