ISARIBI NO.77

ISSN1346-2512

Japan
Fisheries
Association

ISARIBI

漁火
Fishing Fire

NO.77, MAR. 2013
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

CITES CoP16

Current secret ballot system should be maintained toensure fairness of CITES decisions

Th e C o n v e n t i o n o n I n t e r n a t i o n a l Tr a d e i nEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) will hold its 16th meeting of theConference of Parties (CoP16) in Bangkok, Thailand,
3-14 March, 2013.
The basic position of the Japan Fisheries Association
on some salient issues for the coming meeting issummarized as follows:
1. Secret Ballots
The JFA believes the current use of secret ballots
with the support of 10 Contracting Parties should bemaintained so that the fairness and soundness of
CITES’ decisions are ensured.
If restrictions on the secret ballot render its use
virtually impossible, the decisions of CITES could be
unfairly distorted.
It should be noted that the secret ballot is aneffective means to ensure Contracting Parties to be freefrom any unfair economic and political pressure andretaliatory action in connection with their voting.
2. Proposals for the inclusion of commercial fish
species in the CITES Appendices
From the viewpoint of the fisheries industry, theJFA basically opposes any proposal which lacks clear
scientific grounds or has a doubtful basis for the
inclusion of any species in the Appendices.
At the coming meeting, proposals have been tabled
for the inclusion of oceanic whitetip shark, hammerhead
shark, porbeagle and manta rays in Appendix II. Japan
opposes these proposals mainly for the following
reasons.
(1) Commercial fish species should be managed
properly by regional fisheries management
organizations (RFMOs) or coastal states, from theviewpoint of not disrupting sustainable utilization
unreasonably;(2) Regarding oceanic whitetip shark andhammerhead shark, new management measures havebeen introduced at regional fisheries management
organizations (RMFOs) since Cop15. Also, as forporbeagle, major fishing countries have adopted more
stringent management measures; and(3) Shoud these species be included in Appendix II,
practical issues remain with regard to the effectiveness ofsuch measures and their limitations on trading.

Recommendations by the Global Guardian
Tr u s t ( G G T ) r e g a r d i n g p r o p o s a l s f o rAppendix inclusion of four marine species
Prop. 42. Inclusion of oceanic whitetip shark(Carcharhinus longimanus) in Appendix II (Brazil,
Colombia, USA)A proposal to list the oceanic whitetip shark was firstsubmitted at CoP15 by Palau and the USA and was
rejected. The species occurs in tropical and subtropicalwaters worldwide. According to the supporting statement,
the population of this pelagic species is over-exploited in
the central and western Pacific Ocean but the population
size is unknown in other areas. The sharks are caught
as bycatch in high seas pelagic fisheries and the finsare retained for international trade. It is stipulated in
the supporting statement that most Regional Fisheries
Management Organizations (RFMOs) prohibit sharkfinning at sea, including the International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), theInter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) andthe Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission(WCPFC). These RFMOs have already introduced strictmeasures. At a national level, several countries prohibitedshark finning and trade in fins. Like other shark species,
listing the oceanic whitetip shark in Appendix II will
create unnecessary procedural burden on Management
Authorities and Customs, thus depriving such CITESrelated authorities of resources, which could otherwise
be utilized for other species of more conservation priority.
It is unlikely that an Appendix II listing of the oceanic
whitetip shark will complement the measures taken bythese RFMOs. The proposal should be rejected.
Prop. 43. Inclusion of scalloped hammerhead

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

ISARIBI NO.77

MAR. 2013

shark (Sphyma lewini) and other two species inAppendix II (Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras)
A proposal to list hammerhead sharks was previously
submitted at CoP15 by Palau and the USA and was
rejected. In 2012, Costa Rica listed the scalloped
hammerhead shark Sphyma lewini in CITES Appendix
III. The scalloped hammerhead shark is distributed
worldwide and occurs in warm temperate and tropicalcoastal waters. It seems that some populations in the
Pacific Ocean meet the criteria for an Appendix II listing
but the species as a whole does not meet the criteria.
The proponents suggest that Sphyma lewini be listed inaccordance with Criterion A in Annex 2a of Resolution
Conf. 9.24 and other four species with Criterion A in
Annex 2b. Nevertheless, the supporting statement
mentions that few population assessments are available
globally for S. lewini. Although the proponents saythat estimates of trends in abundance of S. lewini areavailable for this species (Annex 2), the table shownas Annex 2 is for Sphyma spp. complex. According to
the supporting statement, many countries have banned
finning and shark fishing. Most of the RFMOs have
implemented finning bans. FAO and RFMOs should be
the prime organization responsible for shark fisheries.
Like other shark species, listing the oceanic whitetip
shark in Appendix II will create unnecessary procedural
burden on Management Authorities and Customs, thus
depriving such CITES-related authorities of resources,
which could otherwise be utilized for other species ofmore conservation priority. Under the circumstances, werecommend that the proposal be rejected.
Prop. 44. Inclusion of porbeagle (Lamna nasus) in
Appendix II (Denmark)Similar proposals were rejected at CoP14 and CoP15.
The porbeagle has already been listed in Appendix III
since last year. To the contrary, the supporting statement
mentions that in the absence of a CITES listing there is
no reliable mechanism to track trends in catch and tradeof L. nasus. The porbeagle is distributed in the North
Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Southern

Ocean. The population of the northern Atlantic has been
depleted and accordingly, management measures havebeen introduced by many countries. The supportingstatement indicates that quota management has beenin place in Canada since 2002, in the US since 1999, in
New Zealand since 2004 and in EU since 2008. In 2010,
EU established a zero quota. In the EEZ of Canada,
the population has stabilized. Thus, it is expected thatporbeagle stock will recover. Regrettably, it was only 2010
when a zero quota was set by EU, which is 3 years after
its first submission of the porbeagle proposal at CoP14 in
2007. With regard to marine fish species subject to largescale commercial fisheries, there are many problems
which have yet to be solved. For example, the proponent
recognizes a difficulty in implementation, suggesting 18
months delay in the entry into effect. Furthermore, EU
States consume this shark for its meat and a 'look-alike'
problem need to be addressed. Even if EU keeps a zero
fishing quota within EU waters, EU will continue importing
probeagles for internal consumption. The proposal should
be rejected.
Prop. 46. Inclusion of manta rays in the genus
Manta in Appendix II (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador)
Manta birostris used to be the only species belonging to
the genus Manta but was split to two different species(M. birostris and M. alfredi) in 2009. There may be a third
species. The manta rays are widely distributed in tropical,
subtropical and temperate waters. Insufficient information
is available on population size, population trends, trade,etc.. As a result, it is difficult to judge whether the
species are qualified for Appendix II listings. Ecuador
sent consultation letters to range states but received
responses from a small number of countries. We do notknow how other countries consider this proposal. Under
the circumstances, it is recommended that the proposal
be rejected.
(GGT is a non-governmental organization based inTokyo that supports sound and sustainable use of
wildlife resources.)

President’s message

I

JFA's perspective for 2013

n the New Year issue of "Suisankai," the Japaneselanguage bulletin of the Japan Fisheries Association(JFA), President Toshiro Shirasu presented his
message on the JFA's determination and commitment
to deal with the impending issues before Japan's
fisheries industry in 2013. Following is a gist of his
message.
Nearly two years since the great East Japan earthquake
and tsunami, considerable recovery has been observed
regarding fishing ports, fishing vessels and fish landings,
thanks to the efforts of people involved in fisheries andother citizens of the tsunami-affected areas. However,much remains to be done. Japan's fisheries industry iscommitted to do its utmost
for the reconstruction offisheries in the disasterarea as it believes theregion is essential from theviewpoint of a stable supplyof seafood to the Japanesepeople.
I consider the promotionand expansion of seafood
consumption in Japan
to be the cornerstoneof development for thef i s h e r i e s i n d u s t r y. I t i s
Page 2

ISARIBI NO.77

MAR. 2013

regrettable to see that fish consumption has been on
a decline in Japan, despite the fact that many people
in other parts of the world are willing to eat more fishin pursuit of a healthier life. A recent survey in Japan
of 1,000 mothers shows that most of them believe
fish is healthier than meat and want to have theirchildren eat more fish. Thus, the survey clarified thatfish consumption in Japan has been decreasing not
because people dislike it. We in the fisheries industry
should strive to fill in the gap between such perceptionof consumers (e.g. as one represented by mothers) andpeople’s actual consumption behavior.
The "Fast Fish" campaign, a program proposed
recently at the Fisheries Agency of the Japanese
government, is a concrete step to try to have theconsumer eat tasty fish more with ease. Our association
will step up its effort to expand seafood consumption
through activities of our "Fish Consumption Promotion
Center" in collaboration with the government and theindustry.
Furthermore, it is crucial to accelerate Japan's seafoodexports in a bid to increase the share of seafood demand.
Especially, we will strive to boost exports to the European
Union this year, by promoting compliance with therequirements of HACCP--a keyword for safe and securefood.
I believe it is our important obligation to manage
fisheries resources in the waters surrounding Japan-which has some of the best fishing grounds in the world-with the aim to ensure a stable supply of seafood to
consumers. To this end, it is urgent to strengthen thedomestic seafood supply structure. We will buttress thefostering of a new workforce in the industry and promote
low-cost and highly efficient fishing vessel construction.
At the same time, we will promote sustainable fisheries
through expanded activities of the Marine Eco-label Japan(MEL), an eco-labeling scheme to support fisheries thattake environmental conservation into consideration.

New fisheries
A Proposal from disaster area:

Project to turn Sanriku into a major world aquaculture baseO

Hajime Irokawa
President, Ishinomaki Regional Industry Promotion Co.

ne year and nine months have passed since theGreat Earthquake and Tsunami in eastern Japan.
Many of the residents in Ishinomaki wish thata new and strong wind of restoration will blow to thedisaster area. In June last year, we managed to reopen
Ishinomaki Citizens’ Market in the center of the city.
But the people who had been enthusiastic before thedisaster are now totally dispirited. In face of this plight,
I am questioning myself every day what we should do
to reinvigorate the mind and body of the people andhow we should use effectively the remains of our lives.
As one who spent more than half a century with thefisheries industry, I came to think of making proposals
that can be achieved only in the disaster area. I believe,
based on my experience with fisheries, that a projectthat can provide working opportunities to many people
and return the favor of help and goodwill deliveredfrom all over the world should start from the cultureof aquatic fauna and flora and the propagation of theresources in our sea through farming and fostering.
Following is my proposal.
The new fisheries project I have in mind is one that
establishes an aquaculture development institute offishery and marine resources to turn the bountiful sea
into “a large aquaculture ground” that “produces foodfor mankind.”This means the creation of a large-scale food industry
in which producers of both fishery and farm products
cooperate with the aim to provide tasty and nutritious
food to consumers.
The new fisheries should start by establishing a
research institute where people from all over the world
who share the same ideals come together for joint

research. The institute would have various facilities,
a safe and hygienic environment, and efficientexperiment sites. Researchers would be invited fromvarious countries to develop projects with the aim to
produce, raise and foster marine resources, including
fish and seaweed.
The area off Sanriku, the northern region of Japan’s
main Honshu Island, where I now live, is one of therichest fishing grounds in the world. Sanriku is known
to fishermen as a rich spawning and fostering groundof fish and seaweed. However, after the disaster, there
are no fishermen to protect and foster juvenile fish thathave been spawned nor are there adequate regulations
for stock management.
I am well aware of the difficulty of protecting andfostering marine resources because it is connected tothe issue of the traditional fishing rights. It is indeed
difficult to persuade fishermen and put the program
into action. Further, it does not seem certain whether
the government will allocate a subsidy for new projects.
I am also aware that it is difficult to gain thecooperation of not only fishermen but also seafood
processors and distributors for promotion of the newfisheries project.
I believe that the project will go forward only withthe strong determination of the national government.
Municipal governments and other local offices mayneed to set up their own systems to increase resources,
with the powerful support of the national government.
What is important for the implementation of the new
project can be summarized as follows.
1. Adequate consideration should be given so that the
livelihoods of fishermen (who may consider themselves
Page 3

ISARIBI NO.77
barred from free operation), seafood processors anddistributors may not be constrained. Remunerations tothem should be ensured by allowing them to cooperate
and participate in the new project by making available
the raw materials from overseas or other areas of Japan.
It is absolutely necessary to make a decent life possible
for all the people involved in the project--giving them
dreams and hopes alone is not enough. I believe theuse of the restoration budget for such a purpose shouldbe permitted.
2. Many fishermen are fully aware that the fishingindustry must not only protect their fishing ground,but that they cannot pass the resources over to future
generations by engaging in overfishing and illegal
fishing--which often occurs easily in the affluent sea. It
is the national government, not local authorities, thatcan effectively enforce regulations over fishing.
3. On the occasion of the giant earthquake
and tsunami, fishermen were given hopes andencouragement through the help from the national
government and many foreign countries. I believew e c a n r e c i p r o c a t e t o s u c h fa vo r s t h r o u g h t h eimplementation of the new fisheries--by fosteringfish eggs and seedling, buying and raising juveniles
to produce multifold tons of fish, making public thetechnology we have developed to the world, andincreasing marine resources in the world’s oceans.
4. I understand the new project is an attempt to findways to provide our products through collaboration
among fishermen, fish processors, distributors andretailers. I hope that it will develop into a growthindustry to be handed over to our offspring. The basics
of such an industry are in the fauna and flora that growin abundance in this sea.
Back around 1975, I was assigned by my company
to cope with the task of converting the company’s
main production into new projects, in the wake of theintroduction of exclusive economic zones by many
coastal states and the global move to ban commercial
whaling. Amid these circumstances, I engaged invarious fish aquaculture and farming promotion projects
both in Japan and around the world, including thecommercialization of bluefin tuna farming in Morocco,
the culture of black tiger shrimp in Indonesia, andthe extension of fisheries technical guidance in Latin
America, Asia, Africa and other areas.
As I now recall, our projects were favorably received
overseas because we taught many people the joy ofbuilding a pleasant work environment and comfortableliving conditions by increasing the native fisheryresources and providing opportunities to local people tojoin in the new projects.
This time, I believe we in the disaster area can returnthe favor of the support received from other countries
through the realization of new fisheries and the
propagation of marine resources in the calamity-hit area
where there exist a bountiful ocean and land resources.
We can resuscitate local industries, including seafood
processing, retailing and tourism, and provide food tothe people of the world with increased resources andnewly acquired aquaculture technology--which is thecommon property of mankind.

MAR. 2013

Topic
Russian delegation visits JFA to consult
on bilateral fisheries cooperationOn October 1, 2012, the Japan-Russia consultation
was held at the Japan Fisheries Association (JFA)on concrete ways to implement the projects toprovide fisheries-related equipment to Russia in fiscal 2012
(April 2012-March 2013). This consultation is part of theagreement between Japan and Russia to regulate theoperations by fishermen of both countries in the waters ofeach other's jurisdiction.
The Japanese delegation was represented by JFA
Senior Executive Managing Director Yoshiyuki Shige. The
Russian delegation was led by S.V. Maksimov, head of the
Department of Aquaculture of the Fisheries Agency, andconsisted of three others, including E.Y. Solovieva, chief ofthe Department of Finance.
The consultation is held twice every year to discuss two
types of projects: one to provide hatcheries in Russia's
Far Eastern region with machinery and equipment for the
propagation of Russian salmon, and the other to provide
research and educational organizations in the same region
with scientific equipment and instruments with a view todevelop the coastal fisheries of the region.
After the meeting, the Russian team flew to Hakodate
and Sapporo in Hokkaido on October 2 to visit machinery
manufacturing firms and hatcheries and exchange views
and deepen friendships with relevant officials.
The basic bilateral agreement was signed on October 5,
and the Russian delegation left Japan on October 6.

MEL Japan News
New fishery certified
under MEL JapanI

n January 2013, the following fishery was certified
under the Marine Eco-label Japan (MEL Japan),bringing the total number of certified fisheries to 19.

Medium-type silver-stripe round herring purseseine fishery at Sukumo Bay
Certification holder: Sukumo Bay Fisheries Cooperative
Association
Species: silver-stripe round herring
Fishing method: medium-type purse-seine fishery
Fishing ground: Sukumo Bay, Kochi Prefecture
Date of certification: January 11, 2013
The stock of silver-stripe round herring has been instable condition for a long time. There is virtually no bycatch in the fishery. Fishermen are taking voluntary steps
for the conservation of the stock by using larger-meshnets. Fishing is closed within the spawning grounds during
the spawning period, and no-fishing days are establishedfor 1-3 days a month during the rest of the year.

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