Throughout Asia, people have long known the benefits of aquaculture. Pond farming techniques allow traditional mainland farmers to raise a rich source of dietary protein as well as natural fertilizer from harvested fish droppings. In land-poor Japan, the shallow coastal areas become the pond. Today, Japanese farmers of the sea, or mariculturists, grow significant amounts of the sea plants and shellfish that are a regular part of the Japanese diet. The pattern of resource distribution and exploitation described in the passage affects regional development mainly by: a) Making regional agriculture less labor-intensive b) Encouraging economic over-dependence on a single resource c) Increasing the self-sufficiency of food suppliers d) Encouraging investment by outside developers