ISARIBI NO.47

ISSN1346-2512

JapanFisheries
AssociationNO.47 Nov. 2005
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

ICFA Adopts Resolutions to Oppose
Unreasonable Anti-Trawling Campaign andSupport Yokohama Declaration--2005 ICFA Annual Meeting Held in Rome, Sept. 5-7--

T

he 2005 annual meeting of the International
Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) was
held in Rome from September 5 through 7, with
13 organizations from 11 countries participating.
The discussion at the meeting focused on the analysis
and exchange of views on ways to cope with an antihighseas longlining campaign and the recent moves toban high seas fisheries, such as the United Nations’
resolutions to ban high seas trawling, to intensify
protection of sea turtles, and to expand Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs) to the high seas.
Currently unreasonable anti-fisheries campaigns areadvancing at a rapid pace. In these moves, the aim is
to settle the fisheries issues at the United Nations, which
is a forum established mainly to discuss issues related
to peace and security, despite the existence of thespecial agency on marine affairs.
In face of these moves, ICFA adopted resolutions
stating that, first and foremost, the issues of fisheryresources should be fully and objectivelyd i s c u s s e d a t t h e F o o d a n d A g r i c u l t u reOrganization (FAO), a specialized U.N. agency
having adequate scientific knowledge andexpertise on marine resources and marine
ecology. ICFA called that issues relating to marine

John Connelly,
Current ICFA Chairman

Patrick McGuinness,
ICFA Chairman for 2006resources should be dealt with at the FAO before
they are tabled at the U.N. General Assembly.
Further, ICFA adopted a resolution to support theYokohama Declaration adopted at the International
Tuna Fishers Conference on Responsible Fisheries andthe 3rd International Fishers Forum, held in Yokohama,Japan, in July this year, under the joint sponsorship ofthe Organization for the Promotion of Responsible TunaFisheries (OPRT) and the U.S. Western PacificRegional Fishery Management Council. ICFA also
adopted a resolution calling on the states concernedto support tuna fishers’ efforts, such as thereduction of excessive fishing capacity, theelimination of illegal, unregulated and unreported(IUU) fishing activities and curtailing bycatch infisheries (See the resolutions on the next page).
OPRT reported on the recent rapid increase in thecatch of tuna by large-scale purse-seine fishing vessels
in the western and central Pacific, and stressed
the need to control and restrain the fishingcapacity of large-scale purse-seine fishing vessels
to ensure the sustainable utilization of tuna
resources in the area. ICFA members shared
OPRT’s concern over this issue.

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

ISARIBI NO.47

NOV. 2005

ICFA Resolution onBottom Trawling
Whereas ICFA:-Notes that more than 90% of fishing activity takes
place within nation’s Exclusive Economic Zones andthat trawling is the major fishing method used aroundthe world, accounting for more than 60% of production;

ICFA Resolution
on Yokohama Declaration
by Responsible Tuna Fishers
ICFA:-Notes that trawling is acknowledged to be asustainable fishing method contributing to global foodsupply and security;-Welcomes the Yokohama Declaration on July 28th
2005, in which the tuna fishers committed themselves
to sustainable use of world tuna resources andconservation of marine ecosystems,-Rejects assertions that trawling is a destructive fishingpractice.

-Supports the tuna fishers to further promoteresponsible tuna fisheries, particularly in addressing theresource sustainability, eliminating the IUU fishing, andreducing incidental catch of sea turtles and sea birds
by the use of technologies developed.
-Supports the tuna fishers to challenge biased andunscientific accusations that attack environmentallyresponsible tuna fisheries.
-Recognizes that as indicated in the Declaration theFAO and RFMOs have the primary responsibility forthe conservation and the management of tunas and all
related issues. And, therefore, urges the UNGA to seek
the technical advice of these organizations when dealing
with any tuna issue.
-Requests governments support fishers worldwide toimplement the Declaration.
(For the full text of the Yokohama Declaration, see
What’s New Section at http://www.oprt.or.jp)-Disputes some environmental NGOs unsubstantiatedand unscientific claims that trawling, particularly on
sea mounts, destroys benthic biodiversity;-Rejects and condemns lawless acts of piracy against
private fishing vessels
ICFA therefore:-Urges all nations to continue to reject all proposals
for a moratorium on trawling on the high seas;-Encourages the United Nations General Assembly
to seek the technical and scientific advice of the expertsof the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization on issues of trawling on the high seas.
-Urges nations to engage in appropriate regional
fisheries arrangements for the high seas that provide
for the utilization of demersal fish resources throughtrawl fishing while ensuring sustainability, including
ensuring that any significant adverse effects on theaquatic environment are avoided or mitigated.

ICFA is a non-governmental organization formed in 1988 by fisheries
associations of leading fishing nations
to provide a unified voice andrepresentation of the world’scommercial fishing industries ininternational forums. ICFA website:
http:www.icfa.net
Participants at the Yokohama Conference

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Fish Diet Is EfveEfffecti
ectivfor Pr
eventing Alzheimer’sPreAlzheimer’s—Scientists Re por t aA Symposium
Reatt the JF
JFAon Dietar y Life in Aging Society—LifeNext, Dr. Hiramitsu Suzuki, Chief of thehe Japan Fisheries Association (JFA) held asymposium on “Dietary Life in Aging Society” Physiological Function Laboratory of theNational Food Research Institute, spoke on thein Tokyo on October 27, 2005. In the“Effectiveness of Fish Oil and Green Tea insymposium, attended by 220 people including
dieticians and industry representatives, lectures were Maintaining Health in Aged People.” Dr. Suzuki
introduced the studies to improve the state ofdelivered by three scientists.
Alzheimer’s, carried out with the cooperation of
In the opening speech, JFA President Isao Nakasu
nursing homes for the elderly. Brain tests werepointed out the rapid progress of aging in theconducted by adding fish oil to miso (soybean paste)
Japanese society, which will be further accelerated
soup served at breakfast every day for six months.
in two years hence by the retirement of those in theThe result showed that Alzheimer’s patients ofbaby boomers’ age bracket. He stated that how to
relatively light and middle levels achieved higher
live a healthy and comfortable post-retirement lifescores in improvement.
will become an important
Further, effects of the use ofsocietal issue, and healthy
green tea having catechin anddietary habits will certainly
Scientific surveys show daily
fish oil were examined. By
assume an important role inconsumption
offishtends
tothe consumption of these twoachieving this goal. He pointed
lower the ontake rate ofnutrients, significant highout that, based on a survey on
Alzheimer’sscores were observed in brain
the health and nutrition of thetests. Notably, high scores
Japanese people, per-capita
were obtained in memory andfish consumption shows anlanguage-fluency functions. At present, samples ofincrease as people advance in age. As suppliers of
20 items of processed food containing fish oil andfish products, we are confident that fish isgreen-tea extracts have been developed, and studies
certainly benefiting the aging society, he said.
are underway on what effects the consumption ofNakasu’s speech was followed by a lecture bythese items of food may have for the prevention andProfessor Akira Ueki of Jichi Medical School
improvement of Alzheimer’s. Results from theseon “Dietary Life and Prevention of Alzheimer’s
studies are anticipated to be obtained next January.
Disease,” in which he presented the results of up-toLastly, Professor Akie Kawabata of Kagawa
date studies and preventive measures on
Nutrition University delivered a lecture on
Alzheimer’s. Ueki noted that 700,000 people have
“Dietary Life of the Aged.” Kawabata presented
been confirmed as Alzheimer’s patients in Japan, as
the results of a survey on dietary habits of middlecompared with 5 million in the United States. Theage and elderly people. She analyzed the changes incause of this disease had been previously believed tothe proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) andbe genetic, but recently it was found that the living
environment, including diet and physical exercise, are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in phosphatide in cell
membranes. Based on the result of her survey, sheclosely related with the occurrence of this disease.
pointed out that the daily intake of fish enables one
Consequently, as in the case of lifestyle-related
to keep the proportion of EPA and DHA in cell
illnesses, improvement in one’s dietary life ismembranes at high levels. Then she concluded thatregarded important. With respect to fish diet, studies
it is necessary for the elderly to consume moreshow that, when fish is consumed once a week,
fish than young people. Further, she noted thatthe onset rate of Alzheimer’s is 1.6 times
last April the Welfare and Labor Ministry
higher than when fish is consumed daily. Whenfish is not consumed at all, the rate is as high as established the daily lower limit of intake of n-3 fatacid at 2.9 grams or more for males between 50 and
5.3 times that compared with daily
69 years old to encourage the increase ofconsumption. Guidance is now being given inconsumption of this fat acid. In order to attain thishospitals for improving nutritional intake for thelevel, at least one or more intakes of fish (about 100treatment of Alzheimer’s. Encouraging the patientsgrams of fish) a day is needed, Kawabata said.
to eat fish once a day has shown effectiveness.

TPage 3

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WHALING ISSUEIWC Shows Signs of Normalization
Pro-Use Votes Close to Simple Majority
at the 57th IWC MeetingT

he number of countries supporting thesustainable utilization of whale resources inthe International Whaling Commission (IWC)
is now in balance with that of the anti-whaling bloc,
giving a clear signal that the balance of power will
be reversed in a year or two, said Joji Morishita,
Chief Fisheries Negotiator of the Fisheries Agency.
Morishita, also Japan’s Alternate Commissioner
to the IWC, was speaking at a meeting of the Japan
Fisheries Journalists’ Association, about the outcomeof 57th IWC Annual Meeting held in Ulsan, Korea,in June.
Recalling the year 1999 when he first attended
the IWC meeting, he said that the number ofcountries in the pro-use group then, including Japan,
had been 10 less than that of the anti group, but at
the Ulsan meeting this year, the former exceeded
the latter by one member. Regrettably, however, sixof small countries among the sustainable-use group
could not vote because they were in arrears in thepayment of their membership contributions and hadother budgetary difficulties in attending the meeting.
This resulted in the defeat by a small margin in thevotes on matters requiring a simple majority.

However, there is likelihood that the pro-use groupwill reverse the votes next year or the year afternext.
He further noted that a number of countries,
centering on African countries, joined the IWC overthe past two years, expressing their support for thesustainable use of whale resources. Anti-whaling
countries and organizations blame Japan for buying
their votes using its official development assistance(ODA). But such allegations are misleading. Japan issupplying its ODA to anti-whaling countries as well,such as India, Brazil and Argentina. Developingcountries in Africa became members of the IWC
mainly for two reasons. First, they are aware thatthey cannot survive without using natural and wildlife
resources. Second, they are opposed to theunreasonable imposition of restrictions by CITES on
their exports of wildlife products such as ivory.
These countries took concerted actions at the IWC
and emphasized the importance of sustainableutilization of natural resources at press conferences.
These conferences were held entirely on their own
and were not made at Japan’s request, Morishita
said.

8th International Seafood Show in Tokyo
Slated for July 2006--Osaka Seafood Show Is Also Planned for February--T

he Japan Fisheries Association (JFA)announced that the 8th International
Seafood & Technology Expo will be held at
the Tokyo International Center (Tokyo Big Sight),
July 19-21, 2006.
The event, one of the biggest among the world's
exhibitions of this kind, will be organized by theJFA, and co-sponsored by the Japanese
Government ministries, embassies, seafood tradeorganizations and other related industries.
The show will feature exhibition of wide-ranging
products and services, including seafood,seasonings and food additives, as well as
machinery and equipment related to seafood
processing, packaging, cooking, food sanitation
management, and waste disposal.
The organizer anticipates about 30,000 visitors
during the Expo, which will include seafood buyers(supermarkets, chain stores, department stores,

fish dealers, retailers, etc.) and seafood users(hotels and restaurants, fishery product processing
businesses, etc.)
The JFA also said that it will organize the 3rdInternational Seafood & Technology Expo Osakain the western commercial city of Osaka on
February 16 and 17, 2006.
In the meantime, the JFA announced the resultsof the 7th International Seafood & Technology
Expo held in Tokyo, July 13-15, 2005. In acontinued popularity from the previous shows, a
total of 317 exhibitors, including those fromoverseas, participated in 553 booths. Exhibitors'
performance was favorable, with 55.7% sayingthat they discovered new customers, 17.5%
receiving promising inquiries and 12.5%
concluding contracts during the show period.
(For further information, visit: Seafood Expo
Secretariat; http://www.k-ide.com/seafood)The readers are cordially invited to send their comments on articles in this issue to mnishimu@suisankai.or.jp--Editor