ISARIBI NO.75

ISSN1346-2512

Japan
Fisheries
Association

NO.75, SEPT. 2012
Sankaido Bldg.,
9-13 Akasaka 1, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 107-0052
tel: 81-3-3585-6683
http//www.suisankai.or.jp

Views and Opinions of Japan’s Fisheries Industry

Food Taipei 2012

JFA chief makes appeal on Japanese seafoodat Taiwan food fairT

he Japan Fisheries Association (JFA) participatedin Food Taipei 2012, one of the major food fairs
in Asia this year, held in Taiwan's capital on June
27-30.
The fair, the 22nd of its kind, was organized by the
Taiwan Trade Center. Companies not only from Asia
but also from the United States, Europe and the Middle
East exhibited, attracting numbers of buyers fromvarious regions of the world.
Along with food, a wide range of food-related
products, such as food additives, tableware and foodprocessing devices, were displayed.
The participation by Japanese exhibitors at theJapan Pavilion was orchestrated by the Interchange
Association-Japan, a window organization to promote
relations with Taiwan, with which Japan has no formal
diplomatic ties.
At this show, the Interchange Association specificallyemphasized support of the regions hit hard by thegreat East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March
2011, by boosting exports of their seafood.
A total of 33 Japanese participants including the
JFA publicized their seafood products and engaged in
active business negotiations with visiting buyers.
The JFA team was led by its president, Toshiro
Shirasu. As one of the speakers at a seminar on
June 28, attended by about 100 people, including
government officials and fisheries industry
representatives, Shirasu delivered a speech on thedamage of the East Japan earthquake and tsunami andthe future of fisheries in Japan.
In his speech, Shirasu expressed special gratitude to
the relief aid amounting to Y60 million delivered from
Taiwan to the region's fisheries industry.
H e a l s o t h a n ke d t h e Ta i wa n e s e p e o p l e a n dgovernment for continuing their imports of Japanese
seafood, despite the fact that many other countries
stopped importing from Japan out of fear of radioactive
contamination caused by the accident at the Fukushima
nuclear power plant.

Shirasu (center) making tour at the fair site

Shirasu emphasized that steadfast inspection is
now being conducted in Japan over the fish from thecontaminated area and explained that no seafood having
radioactive substances exceeding the allowable standard
are distributed in the Japanese market.
On the enormity of the damage of the disaster, he told
the audience that the equivalent of Taiwan's coastline from
north to south was assaulted by the great earthquake/tsunami, resulting in a loss of Y1.26 trillion, largely on theregion's fisheries and related industries.
He also elaborated on the subsequent efforts of theJapanese people and the government to restore theregion from the after-effects of the unprecedented naturalcalamity.
He called on foreign participants to continue supporting
Japan's fisheries industry by buying Japanese seafood.
At its booth at the fair, the JFA distributed pamphlets
to promote Japan's seafood exports--both in English andChinese.
Commenting on the response of participants at thefair, Shirasu said, in an interview after the fair, that the
Taiwanese people, who have built up a solid friendly

ISARIBI: First published by the Japan Fisheries Association in October 1992.
JFA President: Toshiro Shirasu; Editor: Masashi Nishimura

ISARIBI NO.75

OCT. 2012

re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e J a p a n e s e , w e re g e n e ra l l yappreciative of the situation in Japan after they heard
our explanations. At the same time he also admitted
there were some concerns lingering among participants
over the nuclear pollution.
He said he was pleased to know that companies fromthe disaster-hit area who exhibited together with the
JFA had favorable business talks with potential buyers,
with local TV stations interviewing them and airing theircomments and activities.
Shirasu sounded positive in further assisting thepromotion of Japan's seafood exports, by taking part insimilar international food fairs to be held elsewhere in
the days ahead.

Japan International Seafood Expo
Japan Seafood Expo draws
record number of exhibitors

T

he Japan Fisheries Association (JFA) organized the14th Japan International Seafood & Technology
Expo on July 18-20 at the Tokyo Big Sight.
During the expo, under the slogan "Let's eat more
fish," a total of 583 companies participated with 814
booths, registering an all-time high, largely exceeding
the 350 firms with 383 booths at the 13th expo lastyear. The number of visitors during the three-day period
totaled 26,101, showing an increase from last year's
25,537.
Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Akira Gunji visited the expo as the first incumbent
minister to do so, showing the government's interest inrenovating Japan's fisheries.
Speaking on behalf of the organizer at the opening
ceremony, JFA President Toshiro Shirasu stated: "About
800 days have passed since the occurrence of theunprecedented earthquake and tsunami in easternJapan, and efforts toward rehabilitation and restoration
continue in the disaster area. All the people engaged infisheries throughout Japan are supporting these efforts.
There is a long way to go before this undertaking bears

fruit, but I am glad to see we are witnessing steadyprogress.""The theme of the expo this year is to encourage
consumers to eat more fish. This reflects our wish
to vitalize fisheries not only in the disaster area but
throughout Japan, and through these efforts, stimulate
the Japanese economy as a whole.""This year's show has three distinct characteristics. One
is that more than 40 enterprises from the disaster area
are taking part in a special section of the expo. I wish allof you will see that the people from the area are making
their utmost effort. They are producing high-quality
products in spite of their hardship. This aspect should be
adequately publicized so that these producers will find alarger number of new users for their products.
"Secondly, as our first attempt, we have invited inpartnership with the Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO) about 20 buyers from 12 countries in the hope
to expand Japan's seafood exports. We would like to seethat Japanese seafood gain consumer popularity not onlyin Japan but also in other parts of the world.""Thirdly, we tried to make the seminars during theshow more attractive. At present, the Fisheries Agency
is trying to develop ways to expand fish consumption
through new initiatives and flexible ideas by forming ateam of young staffers. We would like to have such young
members speak about their ideas. We will also make apresentation on the Marine Eco-label Japan scheme andefforts to comply with HACCP requirements overseas."
Representing participants from the disaster area, Mr.
Yasuhiro Abe of Abecho Co. from Kesennuma thanked all
those from various areas of Japan for their support andencouragement. He talked about the hard experience of
resuming business and protecting employees' work in theface of mountains of tsunami debris. But fishermen in
Kesennuma managed to resume landings of skipjack, by
rehabilitating the fishing port and market. These efforts
resulted in keeping Kesennuma as the No. 1 port oflanding for skipjack this year. Seeing the city revitalized
by the visits of fishing boats, he believes that therevitalization of fisheries will lead to a revival of the city
as a whole.
In declaring the opening of the expo, Mr. Norio Hosomi,
president of Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. (a JFA member
company), stressed the need to reform the fish
supply chain--from catch to consumer--amid
declining fish consumption in Japan in contrast withthe growing demand in other parts of the world.
During the three-day show, fishing and seafoodrelated companies--both from Japan and overseas-as well as regional governments and academic
institutions exhibited their products and state-ofthe-art technology and know-how in the areas of
aquaculture, seafood processing, sushi making,sales promotion and packaging. A total of 43
companies participated from the disaster-hit area,
appealing the need to restore regional fisheries.
Foreign exhibitors came from 13 countries andone territory, with about 90% of them from Asia.
By country, Chinese companies topped the list with36.2%, followed by 21.0% from Korea, and 11.0%
from Vietnam.

Page 2

ISARIBI NO.75

OCT. 2012

East Japan DisasterA Year After the East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami (Part II)

Fisheries restoration gradually underway in the disaster area
(This article continues from the previous issue )The JFA's efforts for assistance:
The JFA made calls for assistance as one of theactivities of the Relief Headquarters for the Disasterof the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami,
established by JFA immediately after its occurrence.
(1) Collection of Relief donations
The first step the JFA took after establishing
the Relief Headquarters for the Great East Japan
Earthquake and Tsunami was the collection of
donations. Contributions began arriving at theheadquarters only two days after the JFA started
the campaign thanks to speedy action. There waswidespread knowledge among the general public thatfisheries had been hit severely by the disaster because
they saw fishing ports washed away by giant waves
on TV and other media. Donations numbered 30 in thefirst week, exceeding 100 before the end of March worth
more than Yen40 million. This quick reaction was by far
beyond our initial expectation.
As of December 2011, the donations totaled 223
worth about Yen145 million--about Yen79 million fromJapan and Yen66 million from overseas.
Overseas contributors included associations andorganizations related to tuna and other fisheries in the
Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Micronesia. We were
surprised by the speed and amount of relief offered from
Taiwan and the Republic of Korea. Notably, Mr. Wen-Jung
Hsieh, President of the Taiwan Deep Sea Tuna Long-line
Boatowners And Exporters Association, extended relief
donations exceeding Yen40 million.
It should be noted that contributions were collected
through each organization's campaigns and event
activities. The donations were delivered directly to the
local autonomies and public organizations in the disasterareas for use to promote the restoration of fisheries.
(2) Emergency relief goods
Upon knowing that the Fisheries Agency would
send the ship Nisshin-Maru to the disaster area, the JFA
called on its members for contribution of daily necessity,
including food, for the people affected by the earthquake
and tsunami, and immediately received various relief
goods from its meber organizations and companies. The
goods were smoothly delivered to the disaster area.
Steps taken toward rehabilitation and restorationof fisheries
Resumption of landings
Soon after they recovered from the disaster's shock,many in the fisheries industry in the Sanriku region
attempted to return their fish landing operations tonormal, based on their conviction that "the restorationof the Sanriku region should start with the rehabilitation

Brisk saury landings at Ofunato, Iwate--a symbol of recovery

of fisheries." First, four tons of pollock were landed at the
Miyako Fish Market in Iwate Prefecture on April 11, 2011.
The resumption of landings was realized in one monthafter the tsunami as about 800 tons of ice remained
intact, although ice making facilities were broadly
devastated.
The first landings in Miyagi Prefecture took place on
April 14, by a longline tuna fishing vessel at Shiogama
Fishing Port. Shiogama, one of major landing ports for
fresh tuna in Japan, subsequently saw landings of 120
tons of fresh bluefin tuna by purse-seine fishing vessels
on August 21.
On June 28, fresh skipjack were landed at Kesennuma
Fishing Port for the first time after the earthquake/tsunami. Landings at Kesennuma had been considerednearly impossible as the port had been totally damaged
with the surrounding land subsided by 70 cm. Promptedby the enthusiasm of fishermen to realize landings assoon as possible, the 750m wharf was leveled up by thelength of 250m by installing iron sheets as an emergency
measure. In place of cold-store facilities, most of which
had been swept away by the tide, cold storage and ice
making facilities were build provisionally. Fish bait--mostly
sardine--was not available as set-net fisheries werecrippled, so every possible other measure was taken toprovide bait, thereby bringing landings to reality. As aresult of these efforts, Kesennuma managed to maintainthe position of the top fresh skipjack landing port inJapan last year--for 15 years in row.
At Ishinomaki Fish Market in Miyagi Prefecture, thelanding wharf was totally ruined, together with ice making
plants and cold-store facilities. However, the fish market
was reopened thanks to donations of freezing containers
and other equipment. Squid jigging vessels and set-net
fishing vessels landed a total of 31 tons of squid, flatfish
and other fish, and auctions were conducted underprovisional tents.

Page 3

ISARIBI NO.75

Radioactive inspection
The government says fish withabove-limit radioactivity is not
sold in the Japanese market

On June 10, the Fisheries Agency of the Japanese
government held a briefing session for the press
regarding the effects of radioactive substancesand how to cope with the issue of contamination.
This session was apparently prompted by the fact thatfish from Fukushima, where the crippled nuclear power
plant was located, sold poorly in the market. Only 20 of
150 cases of skipjack landed on May 21 at Onahama,a fishing port in Fukushima Prefecture, were sold at
Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market, with the price holding as
low as Y100 per kg.
Almost no radioactive substances were found in thefish, and the fishing ground was located around Hachijo
Island, about 280 km south of Tokyo. The Fisheries
Agency's aim was to establish accurate understandingof the situation among the public in general, anddistributors in particular, with regard to what is believed
to be a rootless negative rumor.
At the session, Masanori Miyahara, Deputy DirectorGeneral of the Agency, explained the results ofmonitoring surveys and the way to handle fish when
the allowable radioactive level is exceeded. Miyaharastressed that no fishing operation is taking place inthe area off Fukushima. The government's benchmark
level for radioactivity was raised to 100 Becquerels(Bq)/kg, and it is a fact that fish having radioactivity
above that level was found in the catch from someneighboring prefectures. However, the results of themonitoring surveys were made public in their entirety,
and shipments of fish having a value in excess of thestandard value are halted on a voluntary basis, andsurveys have been stepped up for those species inwhich higher radioactivity rates were detected.
That said, Miyahara emphasized that the fishwith radioactivity above the standard value are notdistributed in the Japanese market.
What follows is a summary of Miyahara's explanation:<Seafood and radioactive cesium>
On the sea surface, radioactive cesium moves gradually
toward the seabed after being dispersed and diluted
in massive amounts of sea water. While the water iscleaned, radioactive substances are accumulated on
the seabed soil. For this reason, high radioactive values
were detected in sand lance and whitebait, but theamount is decreasing now, while radioactive substances
are appearing in other larger groundfish like flounderand flatfish.
In the inland waters, radioactive substances moveto rivers and lakes by means of rain and snowmelt.
Ultimately, those substances flow into the ocean or sinkonto the bottom of lakes. Surveys need to be conductedin high-radioactive zones and lower reaches of rivers
in those areas, considering the relations with theradioactivity amount on land.
Cesium 137 (one type of cesium) ingested by fish is

OCT. 2012
disposed through the gills and urine. The half-period forsaltwater fish is about 19-84 days. That of freshwater fish
is about 50-340 days, four times longer than saltwater fish
because of osmotic pressure.
<Actual state of surveys on seafood>
The current monitoring surveys have been conductedbased on the new allowable radioactive standard. Theytarget major commercial species and the species having
shown a level exceeding 50 Bq/kg in the past. The surveys
are reinforced when the values approach the standard
level or when such values are found in nearby prefectures.
Major species are selected, considering their habitat,fishing season and the results of surveys in neighboring
prefectures. With regard to migratory species such as
Pacific cod, yellowtail, skipjack and saury, surveys overextensive areas are being conducted.
<Steps to be taken when the standard value issurpassed>
Measures to be taken in case the value exceeds 100 Bq/
kg are:(1) Shipments of the species are limited in which thestandard value is exceeded in two or more locations;landings of the species are stopped. Market participantsat the landing ports are to ensure the effectiveness ofthe measure. Subsequently, a shipment limitation islifted when the survey results show the levels below thestandard value at three or more locations for one month
before the end of the survey.
(2) When radioactive substances are found only in
one location, shipments of the fish will be restrained
voluntarily, and surveys will be tightened to determine
the trend accurately. The restriction will be lifted when
it is ensured that the radioactive level stays below thestandard on a stable basis.

MEL Japan News
4 new fisheriescertified under MEL
Japan

A

s of Oct. 1, 2012, MEL Japan has certified thefollowing 4 additional fisheries in this year, bringing
the total number of certified fisheries to 17.
(1) Large-scale Pacific Saury Fishery; Certificationh o l d e r : K a m a t a F i s h e r i e s C o ., L t d . ( l o c a t e d i n
Iwate prefecture); Species: Pacific Saury (Cololabis
Saura); Date: July 31, 2012; (2) Small-type Setnet Fishery; Certification holder: Fujimoto Gyogyobu (located in Hokkaido prefecture); Species: Flatfish(Pleuronectiformes), Trout (Salmoninae), Blowfish(Tetraodontidae); Date: August 27, 2012; (3) Salmon
Set-net Fishery; Certification holder: Fujimoto Gyogyobu (located in Hokkaido prefecture); Species: Salmon(Oncorhyncus); Date: August 27, 2012; (4) JapaneseWhitebait Seine Fishery; Certification holder: Aichi
Prefecture Whitebait/Sand Lance Boat Seiners Association(located in Aichi prefecture); Species: Japanese Anchovy(Engraulis japonica) and Japanese Sardine (Sardinops
melanostictus); Date: October 1, 2012

The readers are cordially invited to send their comments on articles in this issue to mnishimu@suisankai.or.jp--Editor