The Shin Futtsu Fishing Association presently has 144 members, down from 230 at its peak. The average age of the association member is 43, which is fairly young. Compared to some types of fishing, nori harvesting is a fairly stable occupation so it tends to attract a younger population. Some nori farmers operate their own production facilities while others sell their crop to nori producers and distributors. Takeshi Matsumoto mainly specializes in the production process.