ISARIBI NO.59

ISSN1346-2512

JapanFisheries
AssociationNO.59, JULY 2008
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

Fuel price hikeJJapanese fishermen stage nationnwide strike--Actions triggered by soaring fuel prices--

apanese fishermen at lastresorted to decisive actions toprotest the ever soaring fuel pricesthat are seriously affecting theirlivelihoods. For the first time in the historyof Japan, about 200,000 out of 210,000
fishing vessels in Japan halted operation
nationwide on July 15 to raise the publicawareness of their stringent plight causedby soaring oil prices.
On the same day, the Japan Federationof Fisheries Cooperative Associations (JFZengyoren), whose members include
more than 1,100 coastal fisherycooperative associations, organized,
jointly with the Japan Fisheries Association(JFA) and other fisheries organizations, agathering of more than 3,000 fishermen inTokyo to appeal the need to defend Japan’s
seafood supply and the livelihoods of her
fishing communities now faced withunprecedented difficulties.
At the gathering, the participantsunanimously adopted a resolution, whichamong other things, called on thegovernment for emergency measuresnecessary to ensure the survival of Japan’s
fishing industry, stabilize the supply ofseafood to the Japanese people and defend
the livelihoods of fishing communities. It
also called for the introduction ofinternational regulations to control thedisorderly infusion of speculative money into
the world’s oil market.
After the gathering, the participants
staged a rally to urge the government for

Fishermens rally in Tokyo

relief measures, chanting in chorus: “Wecannot go fishing as we suffer greater losses
when we go out to the sea,” and “Thegovernment should fulfill its obligation toensure stable supply of seafood to thepeople.”
Commenting on the predicament now
facing fishermen in Japan, Nobuhiro Nagaya,
an executive of JF Zengyoren, said: “Theproportion of fuel expenses in production
costs in coastal fishing vessel operations,which stood at 19% in 2006, jumped to30.2% in June of this year. This is an
exorbitantly high level, when compared withthe present rate of around 10% in otherindustry sectors such as bus and truck
transportation. This shows the magnitude of
the impact of soaring fuel prices on the fishing

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

ISARIBI NO.59

JULY 2008

industry.”“On the other hand,” Nagaya added, “theproportion of proceeds for fishery producers
in retail prices stands at 24%, a visibly lowlevel as compared with 30-50% for
agricultural producers, meaning that costs inthe distribution stages are very high forseafoods. This situation keeps the net income
for fishermen at a low level.”“Seafood producers in Japan have madeevery possible effort to reduce costs both interms of hardware and software, but they
can no longer put up with the current paceof oil price hikes. If this situation persists,
Japan’s fishing industry will not be able tosurvive.”“For the moment, we will make our all-out
efforts to cope with soaring fuel prices in thehope to bring relief to fishermen,” Nagaya
said.

Nearly 40% of fishing
operators in Japan could goout of business

JThe Federation also estimated theprospective situation where the price ofheavy oil “A” reaches the order of Y130,000
per kiloliter in the days ahead. It said that,when the oil price hits that level, 23,000 to45,000 (18-36%) of the 125,000 fisheryoperators, including enterprises andindependent fishermen (figure as of 2005),
would be forced out of business, and 50,000
to 85,000 (24-40%) of the 210,000 fishery
workers (figure as of 2006) would have toleave the fisheries.
As a result, the Federation said, Japan’s
fisheries production, which stood at 5.67
million tons in 2006, would decrease by 1.82.7 million tons to 3.87-2.97 million tons, adecline of 32-48%.
In a separate estimate, the Federation
forecast net income for coastal squid jigging
using boats of 10-20 tons. In 2006, the squidjiggers had an average annual net income ofY2 million — Y33 million fishing revenue minus
Y31 million expenses, of which Y9 million, or30%, was fuel cost. However, when the priceof heavy oil “A” reaches Y130,000 per kiloliter,
the expenditures would swell to Y41 million(of which fuel cost would account for Y19
million or 46%), resulting in a net loss of Y8
million, the Federation said.

F-Zengyoren has recently made public
its analysis of the cost burden ofsoaring fuel prices on fishers in a bid toappeal their hardships under the present
abnormal circumstances. The calculation isbased on the end prices of heavy oil “A”,
taking into consideration refining, productdistribution and storage andProjections of impact of heavy oil "A" prices on fishing operation
other management costs.
Coastal squid jigging (with fishing boat of 10-20 tons)
According to the(unit: million yen)
Federation’s calculation, theaverage price of heavy oil “A”,
net
revenue expenses fuel costs
income/loss
which was Y39,000 per
kiloliter in 2003, rose to2006 results33
329(30%)
2Y68,000 in 2007, further
in case of Y100,000/kl
33
36 14(39%)-3
climbing to Y94,400 in May
in case of Y130,000/kl
33
41 19(46%)-8
2008. The estimated average
price in June of this year was
Pole-and-line skipjack fishing (with fishing boat of 100-200 tons)
Y104,600, which represented(unit: million yen)
an increase about as large asnet
2.7-fold, or Y65,600, fromrevenue expenses fuel costs
income/loss
Y39,000 in 2003. As
2006 results277
231 72(31%)
46
compared with 2007 alone,
in case of Y100,000/kl
277
270 110(41%)
8the range of price increasein case of Y130,000/kl
277
303 143(47%)-25
came to about 1.5 times, or(Source:JF-Zengyoren)
Y35,700 per kiloliter.

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ISARIBI NO.59

JULY 2008

Tuna

ICCAT enforces Bluefin Catch Document system
to have effective control on bluefin tuna fisheries.
— More transparency in tuna farming expected —The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) launched
on June 4 the Bluefin Catch Document (BCD) system.
The system, based on ICCAT’s recommendation, is designed to establish strict trackingof the product from the point of capture throughout the whole operation to its finalmarket.

T

he system was adopted at last year’s
annual meeting of ICCAT, and in theabsence of any objection frommember countries during the ensuing six
months, went into effect on June 4 thisyear.
To date, the Statistical Document has
been used for the purpose of countering
unreported catches of tunas, particularly
by non-contracting parties.
The new BCD requires detailed
information concerning catch, transfer,transshipment, farming, harvest from farms
and trade, namely information in all stages
throughout the whole operation to its final
market. For example, farming information
shall include cage description and fishdescription such as the number of fish, totalweight, average weight and estimated sizecomposition.
Trade information shall include productdescription, exporter/seller information andimporter/buyer information. It also must be
validated by an authorized official of the flag
State.
The validation is required for catch landed,transferred to cages, harvested ortransshipped on each occasion that the vessel
fishing master or trap operator or the operatorof farms lands, transfers, harvests ortransships bluefin tuna.
The validated BCD(s) and related documentsof each consignment of bluefin tuna will be
examined by the competent authorities. It isthus aimed at satisfying the need to improveand strictly control all the components involvedin the bluefin tuna fisheries, particularly bluefin
tuna farming.
Each consignment of bluefin tuna domesticallytraded, imported into or re-exported shall beaccompanied by a validated BCD.
By the implementation of the BCD system,
import of bluefin tuna to Japan shall be
prohibited in case no BCD document
accompanied.

MEL Japan

M

Several fisheries immediately appliedfor MEL Japan certification

arine Eco-label Japan (MEL Japan)
was launched in December 2007as a system to support fisheries
that are friendly both to marine
resources and the oceans.
This system is designed to certify
fisheries that are conducted in a sustainable
and responsible manner. Specifically, it isintended to encourage and promote such
fisheries by providing eco-labels for theirproducts.
MEL Japan certification is classified into
two stages: (1) certification in theproduction stage (fishery certification) and(2) certification in thedistribution andprocessing stages(chain of custodycertification). The
former is aimed atcertifying that a fisheryis sustainably
managed for theresources and theecosystem, while the latter is designed to ensurethat the seafoods certified in the production
stage are distributed and processed without
being mixed with uncertified seafoods.
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ISARIBI NO.59
To date, applications for MEL Japan fisherycertification have been submitted and their
examination is being carried out as follows:-The Sea of Japan Crab Pot Fishery
Association in Sakaiminato City, Tottori
Prefecture, Western Japan. This fisherytargets red snow crab in the offshore areaof the Sea of Japan.
-Tottori Prefecture Offshore Trawl Fishery
Association located in Tottori City, Tottori
Prefecture. This fishery targets snow crab
and flathead flounder in the Sea of Japanby single-vessel Danish seining.
-Yui Fishermen’s Association and Oigawa
Town Fisheries Cooperative Association
located in Shizuoka Prefecture, west ofTokyo. The fishery targets stardust shrimp
off Suruga Bay.
The Japan Fisheries Resource
Conservation Association is serving as thecertification body for these applications.
Furthermore, the Sea of Japan Crab Pot
Fishery Association also applied for chain ofcustody certification, which will enablelabeling the final products when certified.
Also, the Sakaiminato Fisheries Promotion
Association applied for chain of custodycertification for some more processors anddistributors of the red snow crab.

Seafood sustainability
Greenpeace’s misguided
campaign is irresponsible
action, hampering genuine
efforts for sustainabilityGreenpeace made public a 67-page
report summarizing its findings on
seafood sold at major supermarket
stores and other mass retailers, including
Wal-Mart, in the United States and Canada
based on surveys it conducted May 21-25.
The campaign included a ranking of stores
according to Greenpeace’s sustainability
standards.
The report claims that many stores are
selling endangered marine species and are
not prepared to convey to the consumers
the need for fulfilling the sustainability
standards of fishery resources.
Greenpeace’s report lists 15 species,
including Atlantic cod, toothfish, swordfish,yellowfin and bigeye tunas, and farmed

JULY 2008
Atlantic salmon.
Blaming the report as “flawed” and“irresponsible,” John Connelly, president of theNational Fisheries Institute (NFI) of the UnitedStates, said in strong words that“[c]onsumers should know that the retailer
rankings presented in this report have nocredibility. The non-science based standards
by which Greenpeace came to its conclusions
highlight the weaknesses in this document andundermine its own efforts”.
“Greenpeace is painting retailers and theentire seafood industry with a very broad andmisleading brush as part of this ill conceived
strategy to pressure stores,” said Connelly.
“This campaign is based on ideology andhysteria not facts.”
Fishing industry sources in Japan said that
consumer awareness on the sustainability anduse of fishery resources has been steadily
improving around the globe, as seen, among
other moves, in the development of global
criteria on cultured seafood at the initiative of
the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Greenpeace’s move to publish its report on
the sustainability of marine resources isunderstood to reflect its intention not to lagin the global trend, but its effort this time
was definitely doomed to end in utter failure,
the sources said.

Answers to groundless criticism ofJapan’s research whalingby anti-whaling groups (1)1. Whales are exposed to the risk ofextinction.
A. There are 83 species of cetaceans in
the world, with each having a different
stock status. The stock size of somespecies such as blue and right whales has
fallen to a very low level that requires
complete protection. On the other hand,the stocks of other species like minke, sei
and fin whales, which Japan is catchingfor scientific purposes, are increasing
annually. The Scientific Committee of theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC)
recognizes that these species have very
healthy stock conditions.
(to be continued in next issue)

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