ISARIBI NO.67

ISSN1346-2512

Japan
Fisheries
Association

NO.67, OCT. 2010
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

Seafood health beneﬁt

FAO, WHO stress health beneﬁts of seafood consumption"Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption" was publicly releasedin May 2010. It provides guidance to governments about how to better communicate the beneﬁts of eating
seafood for heart health in adults and for brain development in babies. Importantly, and for the ﬁrst time, the
FAO/WHO experts also explain the risks of avoiding seafood. The report is the result of a January 2010 meetingof seventeen leading international seafood scientists at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Isaribi recognizes that this important outcome must be widely shared for the beneﬁt of human health, andpublishes the executive summary of the Consultation. Given below is the full text of the executive summary.
BackgroundThe 38th meeting of the Codex Committee on Food
Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC) requested theCodex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), at its 29th
session in 2006, to seek scientiﬁc advice from FAO
and WHO on the health beneﬁts of ﬁsh consumption
comparing those to the health risks associated withthe contaminants methylmercury (MeHg) and dioxins
and dioxin-like PCBs (DLCs) that may be present inﬁsh. The health risks associated with dietary intakeof these compounds have previously been assessedby the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives (JECFA).
The CAC request was driven by growing publicc oncern regarding the presence of chemical
contaminants in ﬁsh. This concern has become more
apparent in recent years, while during the same
period the multiple nutritional beneﬁts of includingﬁsh in the diet have become increasingly clear.
The evolving science in this field has led toquestions about how much fish should be eaten,
and by whom, in order to minimize the risks ofchemical exposures and maximize the healthbeneﬁts. National authorities have been faced withthe challenge of communicating complicated andnuanced messages to consumers and also withquestions on regulating maximum levels of thesechemical contaminants in ﬁsh and other foods.
FAO and WHO held an Expert Consultation on
the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption 25
to 29 January 2010 at FAO Headquarters, Rome,
Italy. Seventeen experts in nutrition, toxicology,
epidemiology, dietary exposure and risk-benefit
assessments discussed the risks and the benefitsof ﬁsh consumption. Their task was to review dataon nutrient and specific chemical (MeHg and DLCs)
contaminant levels in a range of fish species, as well
as recent scientific literature covering the risks andbenefits of fish consumption. The review was used
to consider risk-benefit assessments for specific endpoints of benefits and risks, including for sensitive
groups of the population. The output is intended toprovide guidance to national food safety authorities andthe Codex Alimentarius Commission in their work on
managing risks taking into account the existing data on
the beneﬁts of eating ﬁsh.
Scope
- The purpose of the Expert Consultation was to provide
a framework for assessing the net health benefits orrisks of ﬁsh consumption that would assist governments
to prepare advice for their own populations.
- Fish was defined as finfish and shellfish, whether ofmarine or freshwater origin, farmed or wild. Marine
mammals and algae, as well as sustainability issues
and environmental impacts, although important, wereconsidered to be outside the scope of the Consultation.
- Based on the strength of the evidence, theConsultation examined the beneﬁts of ﬁsh consumption
on neurodevelopment and prevention of cardiovasculardisease. Multiple other possible beneﬁts were reviewed
in background papers but not focused upon by theConsultation in their consideration of relative risks andbeneﬁts. The Consultation also examined the risks fromﬁsh consumption of MeHg and DLCs, including dioxins,
furans and dioxin-like PCBs.
- The group was also requested to conduct an analysisof these beneﬁts and associated risks and make a seriesof recommendations for target populations: including
fetuses, infants/young children, women of reproductive

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

ISARIBI NO.67

OCT. 2010

age and high fish consumers as well as the general
population.
Conclusions- Consumption of ﬁsh provides energy, protein, and arange of other important nutrients, including the longchain n-3 poly unsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA).
- Eating ﬁsh is part of the cultural traditions of many
peoples and in some populations is a major source offood and essential nutrients.
- Among the general adult population, consumption ofﬁsh, particularly oily ﬁsh, lowers the risk of coronary
heart disease (CHD) mortality. There is absenceof probable or convincing evidence of CHD risks of
MeHg. Potential cancer risks of DLCs are well below
established CHD beneﬁts.
- When considering beneﬁts of LC n-3 PUFA vs. risksof MeHg among women of childbearing age: maternal
fish consumption lowers the risk of suboptimal
neurodevelopment in their offspring compared
to women not eating fish in most circumstances
evaluated.
- At levels of maternal DLC intake (from fish andother dietary sources) that do not exceed theprovisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of 70
picograms/kg bodyweight/month established by
JECFA, neurodevelopmental risk is negligible. At levelsof maternal DLC intake (from fish and other dietary
sources) that exceed the PTMI, neurodevelopmental
risk may no longer be negligible.
- Among infants, young children, and adolescents,
the available data are currently insufﬁcient to derivea quantitative framework of health risks and beneﬁts
of eating ﬁsh. However, healthy dietary patterns that
include ﬁsh and are established early in life inﬂuence
dietary habits and health during adult life.
Recommendations
To minimize risks in target populations, theConsultation recommended a series of steps thatmember states should take to better assess andmanage the risks and benefits of fish consumption
and more effectively communicate with their citizens:- Acknowledge ﬁsh consumption as an important foodsource of energy, protein, and a range of essential
nutrients and part of the cultural traditions of many
peoples.
- Emphasize the benefits of fish consumption on
reducing CHD mortality (and CHD mortality risks of
not eating ﬁsh) for the general adult population.
- Emphasize the neurodevelopment benefits
to offspring of fish consumption by women ofchildbearing age, particularly pregnant women andnursing mothers, and the neurodevelopment risks tooffspring of such women not consuming ﬁsh- Develop, maintain, and improve existing databaseson specific nutrients and contaminants, particularly
MeHg and DLCs, in ﬁsh consumed in their region.
- Develop and evaluate risk management andcommunication strategies that both minimize risks
and maximize beneﬁts from eating ﬁsh.

MEL Japan News
3 more ﬁsheries are to beassessed for MEL Japancertiﬁcation
Offshore Pole and Line Skipjack
FisheryT

he National Offshore Tuna Fisheries Associationof Japan with 67 boats engaging in coastal
pole and line skipjack fisheries has put in an
application for MEL Japan certiﬁcation.
The target of the certiﬁcation is a group of offshorepole and line skipjack fishing boats. Fishing grounds
covered by these fisheries are the waters of Nansei
Islands, Ogasawara Islands, western Kyushu, coastal
Kishu/Boso, as well as eastern coastal Sanriku.
The coastal pole and line skipjack ﬁsheries practicea ﬁshing method that involves capturing a single ﬁshwith a rod and artiﬁcial baits, after chumming schoolsof skipjack with live baits and water sprinkling. The
fishing style is therefore believed to harness natural
resources in a sustainable and efﬁcient manner.

Pelagic Pole and Line Skipjack Fishery
The Japan Tuna Fisheries Cooperative Association
has also applied for MEL Japan certiﬁcation.
The ﬁshery to be examined for the certiﬁcation is the
Pelagic Pole and Line Skipjack Fishery and conducts
the same ﬁshing procedure as their above-mentioned
costal counterparts, considered therefore suitable forthe certiﬁcation.
In an attempt for wider recognition by society assustainable and environmentally-friendly fisheries,
both offshore and pelagic pole and line skipjack
fisheries have set their minds on MEL Japancertiﬁcation one after the other.

Minamikayabe set-net ﬁshery
Set-net fishery association in Minamikayabe,
Hakodate, southern part of Hokkaido has also
applied for MEL Japan certiﬁcation. The target of thecertiﬁcation is Large sized set-net ﬁshery. Details areto be published in the course of assessment.
Masashi Nishimura at MEL Japan Secretariat said, "Awide array of ﬁsheries are currently considered for thecertiﬁcation, evidencing a widening circle of certiﬁed
ﬁsheries. We intend to further energize our activities
with an aim to get it identified as a certification
system for Japan's ﬁshermen."(The original article was published in Suisan Times on
September 13, 2010, and was updated by Isaribi.)

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ISARIBI NO.67

Seafood Expo
Foreign ﬁrms actively joined in
the 12th Japan Seafood ShowThe 12th Japan International Seafood &Technology Expo, organized by the Japan
Fisheries Association (JFA), was held at theTokyo Big Sight on July 21-23. The show attracted
27,814 visitors during the three-day period.
The Expo highlighted the perspective ofsustainable use of fishery resources and theenvironment under the theme of "Fish diet expanding
in the world--the importance of conserving valuable
fishery resources for the contemporary consumers
and future generations." The number of exhibitors
totaled 430 ﬁrms with 500 booths, largely surpassing
last year's 367 ﬁrms with 495 booths, although it fell
short of the scale in 2008 when the record numberof exhibitors participated.

Besides Japanese companies, there wasparticipation from 12 countries and one territory:
the United States, India, Australia, the Republic ofKorea, Thailand, China, Norway, Bahrain, Papua
New Guinea, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mexico, with
Taiwan participating as a territory. The number ofbooths by foreign participants was about 120, which
accounted for slightly over 20% of the total booths.
Furthermore, more than 10 countries took partthrough Japanese trading companies and agencies.
Notably, Rongcheng City of Shandong Province,a Chinese city with a thriving fishery processing
industry, mobilized a number of local enterprises
at the Expo, which resulted in the largest scaleparticipation from China in this show during the past
years. A staffer at the booth noted that seafood
processing firms in Rongcheng hope to receive
orders for processing from Japanese companies. He
assured that every processor in the city is capableof responding to orders for processing sophisticatedproducts from Japan and they have a fully-controlled
hygienic system. One of the exhibitors from the cityalso exhibited accessories, such as necklaces, madefrom freshwater pearl.
Mexico, which marked its ﬁrst participation in theExpo, displayed a large-size fish in the family ofsea basses, which looks very much like kelp bass, ahigh-grade ﬁsh in Japan. This ﬁsh, ﬁrst introduced in

OCT. 2010
Japan, was fried with butter, and presented to visitors
for sampling. Those who tried eating it said its taste
and oral sensation were just like those of kelp bass.
A staffer at the Mexican booth said they will propose
various ways of eating different from those of kelp
bass so that the ﬁsh is widely accepted by Japanese
consumers.
At the Thai booth, cobia, for which the government
is now promoting experimental culture in Phuket, wasdisplayed. An ofﬁcial at the booth explained that theypresented this ﬁsh at the Expo in the hope to feel out
the reaction by Japanese consumers. He also said thatexperiment in Thailand is advancing smoothly.
Korean displays included many types of nori laver,a seafood commodity that enjoys a high popularity inJapan. Also, sampling of Matkori liquor was offered,and samples of naturally-produced salt were distributed
to the visitors.
Norway publicized its seafood, with an emphasis on
salmon and mackerel. While Japanese consumers are
fully familiarized with both commodities from Norway,
Norwegian ﬁshing ﬁrms wish to further expand demandin Japan by proposing new menus. One of the newmenus was “Beauty Chirashi-zushi,” which has highesthetic effects with the addition of avocado, sesameand perilla. Many visitors, including men, ﬂocked at the
Norwegian booth at the time of sampling of this menu.
From Canada, Blue Link introduced Canadianproduced fresh sablefish at its own booth. Blue Link
said it intends to market in Japan the sablefish forwhich another Canadian company succeeded in fullcycle farming for the ﬁrst time in the world. Althoughdemand for sliced sablefish meat enjoys a strong
popularity in Japan, only frozen products are being
now supplied in the market because this species is notcaught in the coastal area of Japan. Blue Link plans tomarket this ﬁsh under the brand name of "Kirari" in thehope to have Japanese consumers to come to know
the true deliciousness of live sableﬁsh.
For other events, Sushi Expo and International
Fishery and Aquaculture Technology Expo were held
concurrently, as in last year. A total of about 40
sessions of seminars on seafood and ﬁshery technology
were held during the three-day Expo.

Control of purse-seine capacity
Japan, China agree to reinforce
cooperation in restricting largescale tuna purse-seine capacityOn A u g . 2 7 , 2 0 1 0 , M r. M a s a h i k o Ya m a d a ,Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (then) and his Chinese counterpart,M r. H a n C h a n g f u m e t i n B e i j i n g a n d c o n f i r m e dtheir intention to strengthen the cooperationin the tuna Regional Fisheries Management
Organizations (RFMOs). In particular, the following
points were recognized as specific future actions.
- Both sides intend to cooperate to restrict theuncontrolled increase of large tuna purse seine ﬁshingvessels in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean(WCPO).

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ISARIBI NO.67- China intends to prevent its large tuna purse seineﬁshing vessels from increasing over the current level(owned by Chinese fishing companies) in WCPO.
- Japan intends to work with China to increase theChinese bigeye tuna quotas through quota transfer
or other available actions in RFMOs so as to alleviate
the difficulties of shortage the Chinese fishingindustry is facing.
In the meantime, commenting on Japan’s effort torestrain its tuna purse-seine ﬁshing effort, Mr. Akira
Nakamae, president of the Japan Purse-seiners’
Fisheries Association, stressed that Japan controlled
the number of tuna purse-seine fishing vessels ina way not to increase pressures on the resources.
He said that Japan should appeal the international
community about such efforts, in other words, thatJapan has taken quite a different approach from thecountries which have indiscriminately increased theirﬁshing capacity. Japan has seriously abided by the
resolution of the Western and Central Paciﬁc FisheriesCommission (WCPFC) from the preparatory stages ofthe establishment of that organization.

Taiji dolphin issue
Woe of the society misled by factdistorting environmental businessIn M a y t h i s y e a r, t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f
Minamata Disease announced that the mercury
contents in the hair of the residents of Taiji, atown located along the western Japan Paciﬁc coast,
have no adverse effects on their health, althoughmercury density was found higher than the nation's
average. This is based on the survey conductedby the Center to examine the hair of about 1,000
residents of Taiji at the request of the Taiji Municipal
Ofﬁce.
The survey was carried out by the initiative of
Kazutaka Sangen, mayor of Taiji, a community inJapan that has a history of whaling and whale dietcustom spanning over 400 years. Sangen said:"People in Taiji have eaten cetacean products for the
past four centuries. Far from suffering from toxic
diseases, it was shown that those who have eaten
more whale meat generally have a longer life spanand maintain good health. We need to clarify thisfact scientifically." About 32% of the townspeople
cooperated in two surveys—one in summer andanother in winter.
The survey results revealed a tendency of highmercury density in the hair of the Taiji people,
which was apparently induced by the habit ofconsuming whale products. But no toxic symptoms
were detected. Mayor Sangen said that "the survey
ﬁndings conﬁrmed the good health situation of thepeople, as we had anticipated before."
In spite of all that, environmental NGOs and mass
media mostly in the western advanced countries that
oppose whaling and whale diet seem to have taken
this outcome of the survey as a suitable material for
promoting their anti-whaling campaign. They focusedon higher mercury density in the hair of Taiji people
alone, and stepped up the anti-whaling propaganda,

OCT. 2010
repeatedly emphasizing only this aspect.
The Taiji Municipal Ofﬁce briefed on the results ofthe survey to general newspapers in Japan so that thesurvey ﬁgure might not be interpreted in an unbalanced
and unilateral manner. As a result of this effort, fairand unbiased reporting was generally made in Japan
at the time of official announcement of the survey
outcome. At the same time, however, there were cases
in which only high mercury density was highlighted,
before the "non-presence of toxic symptoms," which isthe core of the survey, was validated scientiﬁcally.
On the other hand, the issue of minor accumulationof mercury and dioxin in large ﬁsh has long provided
a major ground for the anti-whaling and antiﬁsheries campaigns by Greenpeace and World Wildlife
Fund (WWF), and, above all, by the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society, a radical anti-whaling group thathas engaged in harassment of the activities by Japan's
research whaling vessels in the Antarctic. These kindsof campaigns have had large impact in that they arewidely and easily accepted by the public in certain
countries outside Japan. It has thus been shown thatthese protest activities have become a prominent fundraising business.
A typical example is the production of the Hollywoodmade film, "The Cove," in which a former American
dolphin trainer had a starring role. In point of fact,
Sea Shepherd virtually cooperated financially to the
production of this film through their fund-raising
activities. There are a number of Hollywood people who
support Sea Shepherd. The Ady Gil, a Sea Shepherd
speed boat which was smashed after engaging inharassment against Japanese research vessels, wasnamed after a Hollywood multimillionaire who donateda large sum of money to that organization. The
captain of Ady Gil was later found guilty of injury andother misconducts at the Japanese court.
Sources related to Taiji Fisheries Cooperative blamed
the Cove crew for portraying whaling as “the evil” andfor appealing that consumption of whales and dolphinswould lead to mercury toxicity, utilizing various
doubtful means. The purpose of the Cove was toframe Taiji residents as the culprit under the guise of adocumentary ﬁlm. The Cove staff sneaked photography,
filmed angry faces of the townspeople whom they
intentionally provoked, and patched up the scenes
taken in the past in a bid to depict cruelty of dolphin
hunting. They also quoted a Japanese scientist's
remark on mercury content, who was photographed ina place having nothing to do with Taiji, and misplaced
data deliberately. The result of these activities was the
Academy Award.
The Cove was put on the screen in some areas inJapan under the pretext of "freedom of expression" inspite of the opposition from Taiji people. The showingof the ﬁlm left us with an unpleasant aftertaste as only
the business of the theaters and Sea Shepherd was
pursued.
Not only fishermen but also the general publicshould have their critical viewpoint to this kind ofenvironmental business as it is anticipated that such abusiness will further escalate in the future.
(This article is based on the Japanese ﬁsheries daily,
the SUIKEI, dated Sept. 16, 2010)

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