ISARIBI NO.85

ISSN1346-2512

ISARIBIJapanFisheries
Association Fishing Fire

漁火NO. 85, MARCH 2015
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

President’s message

JFA chief stresses the need to promote domestic
seafood demand and expand exports taking a chance on
the global boom for Japanese cuisine
In the January issue of the Suisankai, the Japanese-language bulletin of the Japan Fisheries Association (JFA),
President Toshiro Shirasu stressed the importance of making all-out efforts to boost seafood exports with the aim
to revive the nation’s fisheries industry in general, and the resuscitation of the fisheries in the region hit by the greatearthquake and tsunami more than three years ago.

T

he Japanese economy is now regaining its
strength, as witnessed in the general recoveryof corporate performance and the upswing of
the stock market. Expectations are high that domestic
demand for seafood will expand and fish prices willtake an upturn, backed by further economic recovery.
According to surveys by the Japan External Trade
Organization (JETRO), “washoku” (Japanese cuisine)
is now enjoying the highest popularity among various
cuisines of the world. Needless to say, fish constitutes
the main pillar of the Japanese food culture. The
global boom in fish consumption is further spurred by
the recent registration of “washoku” by UNESCO as
an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This willcertainly provide great potential for fisheries growth
in Japan, a country adjoining the Northwestern Pacificwhich is the world’s most productive fishing ground.
The fisheries industry of Japan is now faced with animportant task of restoring its vitality by bolstering both
the demand and supply of fish.
In order to enhance the demand for seafood asa whole, it is essential to expand the consumptionof seafood and propagate a fish diet through major
campaigns such as the “Fast Fish” and “Pride Fish”
programs. In the area of seafood exports, I am pleased
to note that groundwork was laid last year to accelerate
the process of compliance with HACCP certification forexports of Japanese seafood to the European Union
market, and actual implementation of the certification
has become a reality. In the years to come, ourindustry will redouble its efforts to promote exports ofJapanese-produced seafood by further strengthening
cooperation with JETRO. In order to ensure supply torespond to demand, we
will step up efforts in threemajor areas--ensuring labor
power, fishing vessels andfishery resources.
Fisheries have an
important role not only
i n s u p p l y i n g s e a fo o d t oJapanese nationals on astable basis but also in
making possible the survivalof regional communities anda balanced development of
national resources.
There is a variety of tasty seafood from region to region
and from beach to beach throughout Japan. Some regions
have their specific assets to be proud of, for example, thestatus of the top landing port in Japan and the largest
fish market in Asia. With these assets at their core, eachregion can publicize the attractiveness of its seafood. Eachregion can vitalize its fisheries by attracting people fromother areas thereby promoting economic development.
About four years after the Great East Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami, fish landings in the affected region haverecovered almost to the level of the pre-disaster period,thanks to the assistance of the government and the efforts
of local people, notably those in the fisheries industry.
There remain, however, many hurdles to clear, such as thedevelopment of sales channels for seafood processors.
We are still midway towards restoration and rehabilitation.
Negative rumors on regional seafood, generated by theaccident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, are still
lingering. The fisheries industry in Japan is determined

ISARIBI: First published by the Japan Fisheries Association in October 1992.
JFA President: Toshiro Shirasu; Editor: Masashi NishimuraISARIBI NO.85

MAR. 2015

to continue its all-out effort towards a full recovery andresuscitation at the earliest possible time.

Osaka Seafood Show
Osaka Expo attracts record numberof 14,956 visitors

overseas exports of Japanese seafood. Further, the JFA
held an export promotion seminar, in which lectures weregiven on the themes of EU-HACCP and Halal food for theIslamic markets.
In the MEL Japan booth, the Morozaki Chamber ofCommerce and Industry publicized the recently-obtained
MEL-Japan certification of the Aichi Prefecture Whitebait and Sandlance Boat Seine Association fishery, mainlythrough sampling of its products.

The 12th International Osaka Seafood & TechnologyExpo, organized by the Japan Fisheries Association(JFA), was held at ATC Hall in the Asia PacificTrade Center on Feb. 19 and 20.
A total of 222 companies exhibited their products
and technologies in 230 booths, as compared with 254
companies and 265 booths last year. The number ofvisitors during the 2-day show totaled the highest-ever14,956.
Osaka is now gaining vitality as Japan's second largest
commercial city, attracting an increasing number oftourists both from Japan and overseas. The recentlybuilt tallest skyscraper in Japan, Abeno Harukas, andthe Universal Studios Japan, a popular theme park,present themselves as major Osaka tourist attractions.
The city is world-known for its excellent food culture.
Last year, “washoku” (Japanese cuisine) was designatedby UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity. As fish constitutes an essential componentof “washoku,” it means that Japan’s culinary culture
cherishing fish has come to be recognized worldwide.
As last year, Agri-Food Expo was held concurrently
with the seafood show at the same site, featuring
domestically-produced farm and livestock products,including processed products. The two expos combined
constituted the largest food fair in western Japan, withthe display of about 4,000 food items.
During the expo period, individual business matching
services were offered by the Secretariat so thatexhibitors and visiting buyers can deepen their businessnegotiations.
The food export business section, sponsored by
the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO),
accommodated the needs of participants in promoting

MEL Japan booth

MEL Japan
MEL Japan given high marks by theThai Government at Marine Fisheries
Ecolabel WorkshopTMasashi Nishimura
Marine Eco-Label Japan Secretariat

he Workshop on National Ecolabel for Marine
Capture Fisheries was held in Bangkok, Thailand,on January 13-15, 2015. From Japan, I participatedin the Workshop on behalf of the Marine Eco-Label Japan(MEL Japan) Secretariat. A brief outline of the meeting isgiven below.
The purpose of the Workshop, organized by the Thai
Government, was to discuss the possibility of establishinga national seafood ecolabeling scheme--like MEL Japan-that is set up by stakeholders ofthe fisheries industry of a particularcountry. The Workshop took theform of an invitation of experts
from around the world by the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO),
a United Nations agency that leadsinternational efforts to defeathunger.
The MEL Japan Secretariat was among the experts
receiving the FAO's invitation. I made a presentationon the process of MEL Japan’s establishment, the stateof fishery resource management in Japan, and theadministration of the scheme in order to contribute toThailand's initiative.
As a result, MEL Japan received a high evaluation by
the Thai Government as a model that can provide themost useful reference to Thailand’s initiative to set up its
own ecolabeling scheme. Another significant aspect wasthat the participants could have in-depth discussions on
the sustainability of fisheries (not in Thailand alone but inother interested developing countries as well), the steps
to be taken towards starting a certification process, andthe course to be taken by a national eco-label scheme. I
consider that, in all likelihood, no other meetings so far
have carried out such in-depth discussions on the subjectof national seafood eco-labeling as this Workshop did.
1. Participants and the process of the Workshop
About 40 representatives participated in the Workshop,

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including those from the Thai Government, the U.S.
Government, the FAO, the Marine Stewardship Council(MSC), Friend of the Sea, Dolphin Safe, the Alaskan
Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), INFOFISH and
INFOSAMAK.
In a broad perspective, the Workshop was carried out
in the following manner. On the first day, invited experts
from overseas ecolabel schemes and organizations
made their presentations. In the morning of the secondday, Thai delegates explained the situation of theirdomestic fisheries and fishery stock management, andin the afternoon, Workshop participants were divided
into two optional groups to discuss the possibility ofestablishing a national seafood ecolabeling scheme.
On the third day, the Workshop met in full session tofurther examine the group discussions, and developa "Summary," which served as advice to the ThaiGovernment.
2. Summary of the Workshop
Following two days of presentations and groupinteraction the Workshop concluded that establishinga comprehensive national seafood ecolabeling scheme
for Thailand would, at this point, be challenging andperhaps premature.
It was agreed that a first priority in considering
the next steps would be to determine the objective
or preferred outcome of any such scheme including
whether it would be intended to inform consumers ineither the domestic market or the international market
or both. Answers to these questions would guidefactors to be taken into consideration in developing anecolabeling scheme.
At this stage in the discussion the Workshop agreed
that, while evidence confirms the value of an ecolabel
in certain cases in accessing markets, differentiatinga country's seafood products and promoting andrewarding sustainable management practices, among
other positive outcomes, it was not clear for Thailand,at this time, whether there is consensus on the scopeor the goal of a national ecolabel or a national strategy
to establish an ecolabel or whether the establishment

MAR. 2015of a scheme is practical or cost effective. The
Workshop felt that any initiative on labelingshould be seen as a component within alarger national strategy of sustainable fisheries
management. This could include other issues
such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)
fishing and aquaculture development.
To establish a better understanding of thenext steps, the Workshop agreed that the ThaiGovernment should initiate a dialogue with abroad range of stakeholders including private
sector entities, NGOs, consumers and civil society
to share information, increase understandingof the value to consumers and producers of
ecolabeled seafood and determine priorities inmoving forward.
The Workshop acknowledged that Thailand
and its management system may not yet bein a pos i t ion t o move for ward on a broad
ecolabeling initiative but that perhaps identification ofpotential fisheries that would act as a pilot project could
be undertaken. The choice of a pilot project would bedetermined according to the objectives that had been
decided for a Thai label e.g., a fishery targeting exports,
fisheries generating by-catch for fish meal, or an artisanal
fishery targeting niche products for domestic markets.
This may provide guidance as a first step.
Finally, the Workshop took note from presentationsof invited guests that establishing sustainability criteria,setting up a chain of custody or traceability system andengaging a third party certifier to ensure credibility isdifficult, costly and time consuming and that all of thesefactors should be taken into consideration in the context
of the existing global certification debate.
Workshop participants agreed that the event had beenvery valuable, instructive and thought-provoking, andthanked the Thai Department of Fisheries and the FAO
for organizing the event.
3. Expectations toward MEL Japan
Expectations were expressed by Thai Government
delegates that MEL Japan has much to be referred tofor fisheries in Thailand because MEL Japan is designed
to certify fisheries in Japan, which are characterized byNishimura making presentation on the Scheme and Operationof MEL Japan

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MAR. 2015

many small-scale fisheries that capture many kinds offish. In contrast, the schemes in the United States andEurope deal with larger-scale fisheries, which are largely
difficult to serve as references for fisheries in Thailand.
In this sense, MEL Japan was presumably appreciated byKeys to successGood management is essential* Certification scheme can only assess andpromote management* Make good use of existing institutions andactivities-Supporters all over the country (Nationaland local management schemes, fishermen’s
cooperatives, academics, consumer
organizations, NGOs)* Nurture good cooperative environment
Use the eco-label to promote cooperation
Promote local industries and products*Find a pioneer
Keys to success which the MEL Japan
Secretariat presented at the Workshop, basedon its experience, as reference to cope withthe difficulty to be encountered in establishing
marine ecolabeling schemes in developing
countries.

FAO officials as a national eco-label model that can serve
as a reference for countries such as Thailand although theFAO is not in the position to assess schemes.
4. Toward more equitable participation ininternational trade
In the fourteenth session of the SUB-COMMITTEE ON
FISH TRADE (Bergen, Norway, 24-28 February 2014), theSub-Committee expressed concerns over a range of issues
relating to ecolabeling schemes, including their potential
to create trade restrictions and generate increased
costs. Many Members called upon the FAO to provide
technical assistance to developing countries in meeting
market access requirements for fisheries certification andin improving national capacity for sustainable fisheries
management.
Under these circumstances, I would like to express highesteem to the positive posture of the Thai Government
to hold this Workshop instead of staying idle in face of
the issues. As stated in the Summary of the Workshop,
establishing a comprehensive national seafood ecolabelingscheme for Thailand might be challenging and premature.
However, it is hoped that fisheries stakeholders of
the world make creative efforts to establish schemes
to appreciate and promote the efforts of developing
countries to improve fishery management so that theywill not be excluded from international trade. MEL Japanis committed to continue its efforts to promote national
ecolabeling through cooperation with those countries andthe FAO.
Before concluding, I would like to express my gratitude
to the Thai government and the FAO for the invitation tothe Workshop.

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