ISARIBI NO.39

ISSN1346-2512

NO.39 Jan.2004

Japan
Fisheries
Association

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

SPECIAL FEATUREOUTLOOK OF FISHERIES AS A FOOD SUPPLYING
INDUSTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY--JFA President Nakasu-Isao Nakasu, President of the Japan Fisheries Association (JFA), inspired fisheries industry people witha lecture in Tokyo on October 22, 2003 under the theme "Thinking of Fisheries Industry as Food
Supplying Industry." Nakasu outlined his views on (1) the supply and demand for food in the world, (2)the supply and demand for food in Japan, and (3) the future outlook of the fisheries industry. Following
is the essence of his lecture:

The world's food supply and demandT

he world population now exceeds 6 billion, witha prospect to increase to 8.5 billion in 2030.
Essential for human existence is food, and foodsupports population growth. In other words, the supplyof food determines the scale of the population. The
world population doubled during the past 40 years,
from 3 billion in 1960 to 6 billion in 2000, and the bulkof the food supply during this period came fromagricultural and livestock products. Especially, thesupply of meat and dairy products saw a visible
increase. Those products are produced by feeding
cattle with grass and grains. Grain production in theworld stands at 2.1 billion tons, of which Japanproduces about 10 million tons. On the other hand,world fishery production is 140 million tons, of which
Japanese production accounts for 5-6 million tons.
China produces 50 million tons, centering on inlandwater fisheries.
World grain production, which stood at 90 million
tons from 650 million hectares of land in 1960,
expanded to 2.1 billion tons from 670 million hectares
in 2000. This resulted from improvement in planting
and technological development, which boosted grain
production per hectare from 1.4 tons to 3.1 tons.
Since 1990, the fishery catch has remained level at
95 million tons, with production from aquaculture
supporting the population growth.
In any country, as the level of affluence rises, foodculture tends to shift from one centered on starch to

one centered onprotein (animal-basedfood), which causes a
rapid increase in the
production of grainsthat serve as feed for
cattle. In order toconsume one kilogramof meat, we have tofeed a cow 3-4
kilograms of grains. A
drastic change is
Isao Nakasu
underway in which
grains cannot be
obtained unless they are imported from othercountries. About 11% of grains produced worldwide
move across national borders. About 30% ofsoybeans are traded internationally, with 18% of
wheat and 5.7% of rice. As for fishery products, 37%
are internationally traded, with Japan buying the bulkof them. On the other hand, 30% of the gross domestic
production (GDP) of Norway comes from fisheries,
with the country striving to foster this industry as anexport sector.
Two arguments are put forward about the futureof the world's food situation. Optimists say that themarket mechanism will work, with prices rising as
supply decreases. They also point out that foodproduction increases through technologicalinnovations such as genetic modification. Conversely,

ISARIBI: First published by the Japan Fisheries Association in October 1992. JFA President: Isao Nakasu;
Senior Executive Managing Director: Kiyoshi Yoshizaki; Editor: Masashi Nishimura

ISARIBI NO.39
pessimists view that environmental restraints will
increase and global warming will intensify. It is said
that a rise of one degree centigrade in temperature
would mean a decrease of 500,000 tons in agricultural
production.

Japan's food supply and demand
Japan's population in the Heian Period (794-1185)
was 6 million with 1 million hectares of arable land.
In the Edo Period (1603-1868), the population
increased to 12 million with 2 million hectares of arable
land, further rising in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) to
34 million with 4
million hectares.
...fish has its strength
Current arable
and superior position land stands at 5vis-à-vis other foods if million hectares.
the resources are In the Edo andused sustainably.
Meiji Periods,
one hectare
supported 6-8
persons, meaning that life was very stringent. In 1936,
Japan's population exceeded 70 million, prompting thegovernment to give priority to the task of ensuring
food. In the postwar years, some millions of Japaneseabroad repatriated and mountainous areas werereclaimed. In order to support the present populationof Japan of 120 million, 15 million hectares of land
would be needed.
After the Second World War, Japan chose the way
to support the population by importing food.
Underlying this change were Japan's economic
growth and progress in transportation technology. At
the same time, higher-level food production in Japan
accelerated this trend. Until the Meiji Period, the daily
per-capita food consumption had been 350-450
grams, of which rice accounted for about half. At
present, rice accounts for one quarter of the percapita food consumption. The per-capita riceconsumption in 1963 was 315 grams, declining to 170
grams at present. By contrast, the consumption ofmeat and dairy products rose from 5-10 grams and

JANUARY 2004
6-8 grams, respectively, in the prewar years to 14
grams and 60 grams in 1960, and to 80 grams and
250 grams at present. The consumption of fish also
increased during the same period from 20-30 grams
to 90 grams and 100 grams but never played amainstay role. As a result, Japan's food selfsufficiency rate dropped drastically, with Japan buying
a large part of its grains for cattle feed. It can besaid that the age of "produce-and-sell" has changed
into that of "compete-and-export."

Future outlook of the fisheries industry
In terms of the "supply power" of animal protein,fish can be said to have its strength and superior
position vis-à-vis other foods if the resources are usedsustainably. However, aquaculture could face astringent situation like meat. How to supply products
meeting consumer needs is crucial. Such products
as boneless fish and fish meat sausage not using egg
whites seem to be selling well. As a means to boost
consumption, the creation of promotional schemesat the stores might be helpful.
It is essential to exert efforts to ensure the safetyof food--the top concern among consumers atpresent. Especially, the issue of mercury and dioxin
contamination is crucial and it is important to respondto the concerns of consumers with accurate
knowledge and full sincerity. In sum, the greatest task
facing us is how we can change the awareness of all
those concerned and at the same time strengthen
our competitive power from the viewpoint of thefisheries industry as a food supply industry.
I think that, as compared with meat, fish has its
strength so that there is no need to be pessimistic
about the future of its consumption, and there arequite a number of Japanese people who return to thehabit of eating fish. We can open up a bright outlook
if we continue our efforts from a viewpoint of how
to bring fish to the taste of consumers. What we inthe fisheries industry need is the awareness of our
mission and the conviction that we can win in thecompetition.

Health Column

DHA in Fish Makes Healthy Children: JFA SymposiumAn unbalanced diet, especially among children,
is a problem facing society. In order toaddress this issue, the Japan Fisheries
Association organized a symposium on October 20,
2003, under the theme of “Children, Nutrition andFish Preparation."In the first part of the symposium, Professor

Kikumaro Aoki at Kagawa Nutrition University,
delivered a keynote speech entitled "Issues
surrounding Child Nutrition Science and Fish." Hispresentation ranged from what docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) is to what kind of role DHA plays in the healthand development of the brain in the process of a child's
growth.
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ISARIBI NO.39

JANUARY 2004

DHA contained in 100ml of mother's milk
25
20
15
10
5
0
AmericanAustralianJapanesesource: Fish DHA that makes smart brain

H.Suzuki

Of particular interest was the fact that DHA is
contained in mother's milk. A country-to-country
comparison showed that the DHA content in the milkof Japanese mothers is conspicuously higher. (Seethe above figure). This indicates that the consumptionof a larger amount of fish provides more DHA tobabies from their mother's milk. Babies cannot
choose what they consume. Therefore, mothers
should know that their meals are substantially related
to the nutritional intake of their babies. Afterelaborating further about the diverse effectivenessof DHA in health, Prof. Aoki concluded that we should
eat more fish.
In the second part, Ms Hiroko Chiba, a teachingassistant at Kagawa Nutrition University, talked about
why a fish diet is necessary for health.
First she pointed to the presence of high-quality
protein found in abundance in fish. Protein is anindispensable element for all living things and is foundin the human body in the largest quantities only next
to water. It can be said to be a particularly important
nutritional element for child growth. Further, fishprotein functions to discharge salt (natrium) in thehuman body.
Next is fatty acid. It is widely known that fish fatty
acid contains abundant DHA and eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA). EPA functions to reduce “bad”
cholesterol and maintain “good” cholesterol, serving
for the prevention of arterial sclerosis, myocardial
infarction, cerebral apoplexy and other malfunctions.
As mentioned earlier, DHA functions to help
development of the brain in addition to functions
similar to those of EPA. As fish fatty acid is found ina large amount in subcutaneous fat, consuming thefish skin together with the meat is effective in
consuming fatty acid.
The intake of calcium that makes up bones andteeth is useful for the prevention of osteoporosis (boneloss). Small fish and sweet-boiled fish that can be
consumed with the bones are effective for the intake
of calcium. Further, calcium is not only necessary

for bones but is closely linked to the life maintenancesystem within the body, such as muscle contraction,
the control of anxiety and the activation of enzyme
functions. However, calcium has a very low
absorption rate. It is vitamin D that helps calcium
absorption. As vitamin D is found abundantly in theinternal organs of fish, small fish that can be consumed
in their entirety, i.e., including the bones and viscera,
are most suited for the intake of calcium.
Taurin is also contained abundantly in fish andshellfish. Taurin has diverse functions such as therecovery of visual acuity, a heart stimulant, theimprovement of abnormal cardiac rhythm, theprevention of anemia and strengthening thedetoxification power of the liver. One function thatdeserves special attention is its effectiveness inlowering the level of cholesterol and neutral fat in
the blood. Probably many people are trying to avoid
eating squid, octopus and shellfish as they areconcerned about the high cholesterol contents in thosespecies, which might trigger arterial sclerosis. To thecontrary, those species have high taurin content anddo not present any concern of increasing cholesterolbut rather serve for the prevention of arterial sclerosis
and myocardial infarction.
Next is the high iron content in bloody fish muscle.
Women especially are advised to take iron. Iron also
has a low absorption rate. Fortunately, however, theiron found in fish is heme iron, that has an intra-bodyabsorption rate as high as 35%.
Finally, vitamins in fish. Probably many people first
think of vegetables when they hear the word "vitamin."But fish contain abundant vitamins. Most abundant
are vitamin A, B1, B2, D and E. Like iron, vitamins
are found in a large amount in bloody muscle.
This brief listing may show that elements usefulfor health exist in fish and, therefore, fish is
indispensable for maintaining health.
Nutritional Distribution of Fish

Bones
calcium
mineralsMeathigh-quality protein

Eye parts
Bloody muscle
vitamins, taurin,
vitamins A, B 1, fatty
zinc, ironacid (EPA, DHA) Viscera
vitamin D

Page 3Skin
vitamins A, B1, B 2

Subcutaneous fat
fatty acid (EPA, DHA)ISARIBI NO.39

JANUARY 2004

Global Efforts Promoted To Manage Fishing
FAO Demonstrates High-level
Political Will to Counter IUUFishing(6) strengthening assistance in terms of financial
and human resources to developing countries,
especially in developing and implementing NPOAs.

T

he United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) adopted a resolution toeliminate illegal, unregulated and unreported(IUU) fishing at its 32nd general meeting on
December 9, 2003. Sources close to the FAO
observe that the high-level resolution at the general
meeting marked a drastic step towards the goal.
Addressing the general meeting on December 1,
Japan's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister
Yoshiyuki Kamei said: "It is important to take steps
toward eliminating IUU fishing practices which
diminish the effectiveness of management measures
for fishery resources. As a responsible fishing nation,
Japan is committed to take the lead in acting uponregional fisheries management organizations for thesolution of this issue." Also delegates from many othercountries, including Australia and Malaysia, referredto the IUU fishing issue in their addresses.
Efforts to get rid of IUU fishing have beenpromoted mainly by FAO, as represented in its Codeof Conduct for Responsible Fishing and aninternational plan of action to eliminate IUU fishingactivities adopted by FAO's Committee on Fisheries.
This issue was taken up as an important issue at thisgeneral meeting based on the awareness that theapproach to this issue differed among countries andthat adequate political will has so far not been
demonstrated.
The 12-point resolution called, among other things,
for the following:(1) early ratification of the FAO ComplianceAgreement and the U.N. Agreement on High Seas
Fisheries as well as proper implementation of theCode of Conduct for Responsible Fishing;(2) ensuring effective monitoring and enforcement
regarding activities of each nation's fishing vessels;(3) early implementation of the FAO's international
plan of action on IUU fishing (IPOA-IUU) anddevelopment and implementation of the national planof action (NPOA) towards this goal;(4) strengthening ties among related internationalorganizations, including FAO, the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) and regional fisheries
management organizations;(5) positive participation in Expert Consultations
on IUU Fishing and Excessive Fishing Capacity
scheduled for June this year; andICCAT To Introduce Positive List
System for Farmed Tunafrom AugustT

he International Commission for theConservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT)
decided on management measures for
Mediterranean farmed bluefin tuna at its general
meeting held in Dublin, Ireland, from November 17
to 24, 2003.
This is what one might call the farmed tuna versionof the Positive List system already being applied tofishing vessels. If this system is enforced, trading of
farmed bluefin tunas other than those from the dulyregistered farms will not be allowed. The system will
be enforced effective from August this year, after
registration by tuna farms.
Under the present measures targeting
Mediterranean farmed bluefin tuna, which are similar
to the Positive List system, each farm will be required
to register and report items such as the number oftuna in the farm cages and meat increase coefficients.
By the implementation of this system, transparency
in production will be ensured, and orderly trading will
be pursued. No trading will be allowed for tuna from
non-listed farms.
Mediterranean farmed bluefin tuna in farming cages
increased from 14,000 tons in 2002 to 21,000 tons in
2003. As the total allowable catch (TAC) of bluefin
tuna for the eastern Atlantic is set at 32,000 tons, itmeans that about two thirds of the TAC is fromfarming. Although prices of bluefin tuna are declining
because of excessive supply, there are still moves insuch countries as Israel and Egypt to launch new
farming grounds, causing concern among countries
involved.
At this meeting, ICCAT adopted a resolution to senda letter to the Japanese government demanding thatJapan take stringent measures not to expand farming
projects to non-member countries.
Masanori Miyahara, ICCAT Chairman and also
Japan's chief delegate, told reporters that
implementation of the Positive List system for farmed
bluefin tuna will help clarify the actual situation of
farmed bluefin tuna production which had many
uncertain elements. The system will hopefully checkthe uncontrolled increase in tuna farming projects, hePage 4

ISARIBI NO.39

JANUARY 2004

Introducing A New Publication
Are Tunas Endangered?
--Why are unscientific arguments on tuna resources
accepted worldwide?-Author: Dr. Yuji Uozumi
It is fresh in our memorythat a paper presenting
concerns about the state oflarge-size commercial fish
species, such as tuna, waswidely reported in 2003 by
the mass media in somecountries. Researchers oftuna resources stood up
against this argument,
pointing out the deficienciesof the paper.
In the same year, a bookPublished bye n t i t l e d " A r e Tu n a s
Seizando Shoten
Endangered?" waspublished in Japan. The book was written by Dr. Yuji
Uozumi, a scientist at the National Research Instituteof Far Seas Fisheries, who has been devoted to thestudy of aquatic resources for many years. The
author, neither an advocate of the fisheries industry
nor a green campaigner, presented an objective viewas a front runner in the studies on fishery resources.
This book deserves the attention of foreign readers,
but unfortunately only the Japanese version isavailable at the moment. In this and ensuing issuesof ISARIBI, we would like to present parts of his
presentation. What follows is the author's message
regarding this book.

Author's message

Tunas are not endangered. This obvious fact isdebated heatedly at such fora as theConvention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES). I would like to question the reason for thissituation. Why were tunas listed in the Red List as a
species threatened with extinction? What is the meritof listing tunas which are far removed from the riskof extinction? Will it not only confuse theconservationist movement? One of the objectives ofthis book is to clarify the core of this issue.
Specifically, I address the issue with a central emphasison the criteria to determine the danger of extinction.
Page 5

I also point out the errors in thecriteria and suggest theirimprovement in the hope that no
species unlikely to beendangered may be listed and theconservation of truly endangered
species may not be hampered.
On the other hand, we should
Dr.Yuji Uozumi
not be allowed to indulge in theunlimited use of tunas on thepretext that they are not endangered. Efforts should
be made to avoid any situation that can lead tocreating serious problems to the sustainable use oftunas. The history of fisheries is a history of overexploitation, and tuna fisheries are no exception. At
present the optimum utilization of tunas is faced withdiverse problems, and great efforts have been
expended for solving them. This book addresses theissues relating to sustainable use and possible
measures to be taken. I would only hope that thisbook will serve to ensuring that tunas will not be
exposed to the risk of extinction in the future, toavoiding excessive exploitation, and to achieving
sustainable utilization of the resources.

JFA To Hold
1st International Seafood Show
in Osaka
The JFA will organize on Feb. 26 and 27,
2004, the first International Seafood &Technology Expo in Osaka, the largest
commercial city in the western Japan.,having rich food culture and seafoodmarket. The show, to be held on the heelof success of similar shows in Tokyo, isforeseen to attract more than 300 display
booths.
For further information, contact: http//
www.k-ide.com/seafood/eindex.html.

ISARIBI NO.39

JANUARY 2004

ICFA Appeals for Sustainable Contribution of Fisheries--Annual Meeting in Auckland--T

he International Coalition of Fisheries
Association (ICFA) appealed for thesustainable contribution of fisheries to theworld's food security at its annual meeting held in
Auckland, New Zealand, from November 26 to 28.
It also stressed the need to take countermeasuresagainst the ongoing anti-commercial fishingcampaigns and to promote appropriate publicity
activities.
The meeting was attended by fisheriesorganizations from Japan, the United States, Canada,
Russia, New Zealand, Iceland and the ASEAN
Fisheries Federation (including Thailand and thePhilippines). The participants exchanged views on
a number of issues important to fisheries, and adopted
the following resolutions:

1. International tuna longlining
The resolution endorsed *the joint declaration
adopted at the World Tuna Longline Fishery
Conference in August 2003. It broadly supported theactivities of the Organization for the Promotion of
Responsible Tuna Fisheries (OPRT) for eliminating
IUU fishing activities. The resolution also called therestrictions on tuna longline fishing capacity should
not exceed that which is necessary to ensuresustainability, and that the development of tuna purse
seine fishing capacity should be managed on asustainable basis and be consistent with international
conservation and management measures. At thesame time, the resolution endorsed *the 2003
Kesennuma Declaration regarding the Sustainable
Utilization of Shark Resources and Tuna Longline
Fishing. (* visit www.oprt.or.jp)

2. Public communications on the state offishery resources

guidelines for the ecolabeling of fish and fisheryproducts from marine capture fisheries and also its
recommendation.

4. The relationship between Regional
Fishery Management Organizations andthe World Trade Organization (WTO)
With the aim to encourage compliance with themeasures against IUU fishing, the resolution calledon the WTO's Committee on Trade and Environment(CTE) to apply the measure to non-member States.
It also requested the FAO Committee on Fisheries(COFI) and its Trade Subcommittee to remind theCTE of the importance of this issue.

5. Marine Protected Areas
The resolution opposed the unreasonableestablishment of Marine Protected Areas. ICFA
endorsed the article by Hilborn et al. entitled “When
Can Marine Protected Areas Improve Fisheries
Management?”, which points out the use of MPA
will require careful planning and evaluation as wellas the risk of its misuse.

6. Whaling
The resolution recognized that the sovereignty,
cultural practices, and dietary habits of individual
nations and its peoples should be duly respected. It
said that ICFA is deeply concerned about theestablishment of the Conservation Committee at the55th IWC annual meeting in Berlin in 2003 because
it will further aggravate the polarization of the IWC.
The resolution urged the IWC to complete andimplement the Revised Management Scheme at theearliest opportunity thereby ending the moratoriumon commercial whaling.
(For details of resolutions, visit www.icfa.net)

ICFA expressed concern over dissemination of
misleading views on the state of fishery resources.
It agreed on the importance of making accurate
information available on fishery resources. ICFA
therefore encouraged the FAO to provide accurate
information on the state and trends of the world’s
main fishery resources and fish stocks and make sure
information readily available on its website.

3. Ecolabeling
ICFA welcomes the report of the recent FAO
Expert Consultation to establish international

AICFA delegates in session

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