ISARIBI NO.66

ISSN1346-2512

JapanFisheries
AssociationNO.66, AUG. 2010
Sankaido Bldg.,
9-13 Akasaka 1, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 107-0052
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Views and Opinions of Japan’s Fisheries Industry

Fisheries science

Japanese researchers develop
the world's ﬁrst full-cycle eel cultivation technology

Th e F i s h e r i e s Re s e a r c h A g e n c y ( F R A )announced on April 8 that it succeeded
for the ﬁrst time in the world in full-cycle
cultivation of Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica),a ﬁsh whose life cycle has long been shrouded inmysteries.
The researchers raised artiﬁcially-bred eels tomaturity, and collected about 250,000 fertilized
eggs, from which about 100,000 secondgeneration larvae were obtained.
The government-affiliated agency says theresults of the experiment mark a great step
forward to full-cycle eel cultivation, paving theway to reproduction of eels that do not dependon wild resources. It will not only contribute to
the conservation of eel resources in the wild
but also provide an important technique inpreserving Japan's food culture.
In Japan, eels have been traditionallyconsidered as a nourishing food since ancienttimes. Eating broiled eels, especially during thehottest period of summer, is a much cherishedcustom in the country.
In 1998, the FRA found that frozen dried
shark egg powder was effective as feed forthe eel in the initial stage of cultivation, andsucceeded in raising laboratory-hatched larvae
to the size of 10 millimeters. Subsequently, theagency continued improvement of feed andcultivation methods and succeeded in growing
Leptocephali (ﬂat and transparent larvae of theeel) into juveniles, which were to be raised tomaturity as parent ﬁsh for full cultivation.

Larval eel or 9 days after hatching (Photo: FRA)

From early this year,
the agency took steps
to prompt maturity ofthe eel by administeringhormone and raised
them to the size of
45-70 centimeters. In
March, it succeeded inrealizing ovulation andobtained about 250,000
fertilized eggs throughLarvae immediately after
artiﬁcial insemination.
hatching (Photo: FRA)
After the first
hatching, it was subsequently confirmed thatabout 100,000 larvae survived. Feeding started 6
days after hatching, prompting smooth growth ofjuveniles.
Kiyoshi Inouye, Executive Director of the FRA,
said that "full aquaculture of the eel has been ourlong-time wish. We are proud to have attained thestate-of-the-art technology."
Mass production of seeds in the amount of
hundred of million needed for eel farming in Japanis a future task to tackle. "We have shown that theeel can be reproduced through cultivation without
dependence on wild eels. We can now expect
to achieve a progress toward developing stablemass production technology by producing moregenerations of the eels that can better adapt to thecultivation environment," Inouye said.
C u r r e n t l y, e e l c u l t i va t i o n d e p e n d s o n t h ecollection of wild juveniles as seeds. According to
the Fisheries Agency, the amount of eel juveniles
harvested from the wild in Japan has dropped toaround 10 tons in recent years from 100-200 tons
around 1950-60.
Eel farmers in China and Taiwan also supply
eels to satisfy the market demand in Japan, butthe success of the breeding experiment raises theprospect of a self-sustaining aquaculture which
would not rely on declining wild stocks.

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

ISARIBI NO.66

AUG. 2010

Tuna trade
Imports of suspended Atlantic
tuna partly resumed as ICCAT
hurdles are clearedTh e J a p a n e s e g ove r n m e n t h a s a l l o w e d
the resumption of importation of partof Atlantic bluefin tuna, which had beensuspended because of possible doubts in relation
to the requirements of the ICCAT Bluefin Tuna
Catch Documentation (BCD) system, after thesuspiciouns were cleared.
Under the policy to thoroughly implement
the resource management measures of theInternational Commission for the Conservationof Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Japan had suspended
the importation of tuna having doubts regarding
catch documents under ICCAT's rule until thecontents of the catch documents are made clear.
According the Fisheries Agency, importation ofa total of 3,600 tons of tuna had been withheld

as of June 23 this year. After the European Union(EU) investigated into the situation of exporting
countries including France and Italy, it was provedthat conﬁrmation process for the catch as required
by ICCAT have been completed, and ICCAT'sCompliance Committee approved the findings.
As a result, Japan decided to authorize theimportation of 2,900 tons of blueﬁn tuna to Japan.
The agency said that about 700 tons are still heldin suspension.
The agency further said that "our policy torigorously examine the catch documents willcontinue to be thoroughly implemented in thefuture. We are determined not to allow theimportation of tunas having any doubts into ourmarket."
ICCAT, on its part, has been reinforcing its
resource management with respect to the Atlantic
blueﬁn tuna. It has taken a measure to require thetunas found to be caught in excess of the quotas
to be released from the farming cages to the sea.
To date, a total of 260 tons have been returned
into the wild in the EU, 560 tons in Tunisia and 20
tons in Turkey.

Seafood exports
Japan is committed to boost its
seafood exports

Jexports of raw materials for processing but alsoachieve higher added value of seafood, such asexports of fresh fish and processed seafood on
the strength of Japan's unique and advanced
technology in the area of seafood freshness
preservation and processing.

apan is set to prop up seafood exports on thestrength of its high-level technology.
It is anticipated that the domestic seafood
Given below is a table of trend in exports ofmarket in Japan will be further scaled down in themajor seafood commodities to China during thedays ahead because of the decreasing population
past 15 years.
and shrinking consumption. By contrast, demand
for seafood elsewhere in theTrend in Japan's exports of major seafood commodities to Chinaworld, including China, the United
unit: tons
States and Europe, is forexeen
salmon pollock mackerel squid
saury
cod
scallopcrab
othersto expand, prompted by rising
1994
4,307
5,162
206
1715
2,584
awareness of consumers on fish
1995
16,997
9,789
134
980
3,015
as a healthy food.
1996
28,27740,254
490
200
461
4,696
Under these circumstances, theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry
1997
19,874
14,541
1,875
754
2986319,756
and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan
1998
10,083
174
5,549
1,219
613
195
411
14,597is set to boost exports, with the1999
2,027
39
178
1,616
4,662
79
465
8,712
aim to achieve exports of food,
2000
3,131
299
4,161
1,840
7,306
193
440
14,846
including seafood, to Y1 trillion by
2001
23,428273
31,730
1,996
2,243
102
1,066
17,4812020. This basic growth policy was
2002
23,904
1,620
1,766
14,941
1,619
541
186
1,385
17,988set out in the Cabinet decision on
2003
52,685
483
324
8,418
2,154468
692
1,097
11,369December 30, 2009.
The international
2004
50,52439,4001,129
10,894
3,232
476
383
2,013
20,514competitiveness of seafood2005
56,60628,183
16,256
4,553
4,438
2,413
318
2,783
20,294processing in other countries,
2006
58,20645,532
48,419
2,089
4,833
7,002
250
3,161
19,546
notably China, has been gaining
2007
49,07042,32932,478
3,738
7,048
9,678
635
3,447
26,329
momentum lately. To face this2008
37,59915,22816,916
10,002
8,580
5,228
780
904
14,464development in the international
2009
47,23335,36011,899
9,044
8,559
1,424
1,135
1,002
19,749market, MAFF believes it is crucialfor Japan to not only promote
Source: Finance Ministry

Page 2

ISARIBI NO.66

AUG. 2010

MEL Japan NewsMEL Japan labeled-productspresented at internationalseafood show

from July 21. This number compared to 31,165
last year, when the highest number was recorded.
About 430 companies – 350 from Japan and 80
from 12 countries and one territory, including theUnited States, Norway, China and India, exhibited
their products and technologies at about 500
booths, engaging in active business negotiations.

Marine Eco-Label Japan (MEL Japan)
participated in the 12th Japan
International Seafood & Technology Expo,
organized by the Japan Fisheries Association(JFA) at the Tokyo Big Sight from July 21, tointroduce its labeling scheme and appeal visitors
for MEL-certified seafood products both at its
booth and the seminar.
Since its establishment in 2007, MEL Japan
has certified four types of fisheries, butopportunities for public presentation of labeledproducts have been limited. At this event, it wasgiven a valuable chance to make a presentationof labeled products in the real package fordistribution.
Participating in the expo were distributors
and/or processors that have obtained Chainof Custody (CoC) certification of Sand Lance(Ammodytes personatus) Boat Seine Fishery off
Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay in Aichi Prefecture, andcommon freshwater clam (Corbicula japonica)ﬁshery in Lake Jusan in Aomori prefecture.
The MEL Japan Secretariat said that it could
recognize high expectations toward the labelingscheme from the retail industry during the event.
The secretariat further said it will continue efforts
to increase the number of certified fisheries inthe days ahead.

The Expo visited by about 28,000 people

In the mean time, the expo organizer
announced that the show attracted a total of27,814 people visited the show during three days

Labeled products of common freshwater clam (Corbiculajaponica) ﬁshery in Lake Jusan in Aomori prefecture.

Labeled products of Sand Lance (Ammodytes personatus)
Boat Seine Fishery off Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay in Aichi
Prefecture

Court ruling on anti-whaling activist
NZ Sea Shepherd activist gets
suspended prison term--Paul Watson on Interpol wanted list--

TSampling of freshwater clam soup at MEL Japan boothhe Tokyo District Court on July 7 sentenced
Peter Bethune, 45, from New Zealand to twoyears in prison, suspended for ﬁve years, forobstructing the activities of the Japanese researchwhaling fleet in the Antarctic Ocean earlier thisyear.
The former captain of the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society's boat was found guilty on
five counts of trespassing, vandalism, carrying
a knife, obstructing commercial activities, andPage 3

ISARIBI NO.66
assault.
Bethune was given a suspended term as hehad said he would not participate in antiwhaling
activities in the Antarctic Ocean in the future andhad paid for the damage to the net, according tothe ruling.
In a joint statement issued on the same day,the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) andKyodo Senpaku Kaisha, Ltd. welcomed theverdict, saying that it "demonstrated that hisactions put the lives of Japanese seamen at risk
and he committed a crime.""Bethune's criminal actions were perpetrated
in disregard of a statement adopted at the IWC
intersessional meeting in 2008, which called upon
Sea Shepherd to refrain from dangerous actionsthat jeopardize safety at sea, and on its vessels
and crews concerned to exercise restraint," theysaid.
ICR and Kyodo Senpaku strongly condemned
the SS's dangerous and violent actions against
Japan's whale research vessels and crews in theAntarctic and demanded that they should beAUG. 2010
stopped immediately.
The two institutions also called on theNetherlands, which provides Sea Shepherd vessels
with a flag, and Australia, which provides Sea
Shepherd with port facilities, to take action tostop further criminal acts being committed by thisgroup.
Meanwhile, in April, Interpol placed Paul Watson,
59, founder and president of the U.S.-based
anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Society on aninternational wanted list at the request of theJapan Coast Guard for allegedly masterminding thegroup's disruption of Japanese whale research in
the Antarctic.
Japan has asked Interpol to issue a so-called
blue notice, asking national police forces toprovide information on Watson's whereabouts andactivities.
Over the past years, Sea Shepherd has engaged
in harassment of Japan's whale research ﬂeets in
the Antarctic, by such actions as throwing bottlesof butyric acid on the Japanese vessels and putting
whaling vessel crews' lives at risk.

Editorial

Many countries give clear "NO"to emotionally-driven protectionism at CITES and IWC

At i t s 6 2 n d a n n u a l m e e t i n g i n A g a d i r,
Morocco, the International Whaling
Commission failed to reach a consensus
on its Chair's initiative to put an end to years ofimpasse in the organization as the differences
between pro-whaling and anti-whaling nations
were not smoothed out.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting,some radical conservation groups recently
claimed that the consensus was not achievedat the IWC because Japan stuck obstinately toits position to continue research whaling in theAntarctic against the will of the internationalsociety.
Admittedly, such criticisms completely miss thepoint as they represent a serious or intentional
misapprehension of the facts on the part of theconservationists.
The truth is that what they call "the will of theinternational society" is nothing but "the will ofa handful of anti-whaling groups and countries.”
It is quite emotional and inappropriate to ignore
the fact that a substantial number of IWC
member countries supported Japan's position. It
is obviously misleading to assert as if the entire
world takes the anti-whaling position.
In a similar vein, conservationists are trying toinsinuate that Japan defeated the global efforts
to conserve the Atlantic bluefin tuna, sharks
and coral species at the recent meeting of theConvention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in
Qatar in March this year. We should recognizethat the outcome of the CITES meeting reflects
the patent fact that many members of theinternational community (whose voices are often
not represented adequately) gave a clear "no" tothe emotion-driven protectionist movement.
Under the current circumstances where increasein production of food from terrestrial sources is
no longer viable to feed the ever-expanding world
population, it is clear that mankind has no choice
but to go toward rational utilization of marine
resources in the future.
Many countries in the world support the useof whales as one of marine resources. Under thesituation, anti-whaling movement is losing its
rational ground. Undoubtedly, the current of theworld opinion will change dramatically toward thewise and sustainable use of the marine resourcesin the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, we observe that the oil spillin the Gulf of Mexico is causing tremendous
disaster to marine resources and environmentand creating concerns to local fishermen. But,a s w e s e e i t , t h e r e h a v e n o t b e e n s o m a ny
conservationist groups who urge the oil industry totake better heed to the conservation of the marine
environment. Given the gravity of the impact,
we believe that they should first and foremost
level their criticisms against the occurrence ofsuch a horrendous incident and certainly notagainst fisheries and whaling of Japan for whichmuch effort has been expended to ensuring
sustainability.

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