Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
## Table of Contents

## FY2008 Review of Fisheries

Topics --Fisheries in FY2008-
1 Securing Consumers' Confidence in Foods -- Including Fishery Products 1
2 For the Sustainable Use of Tuna Resources 1
3 Toward Sustainable Use of Whale Resources 2
4 Progress in Research -- Major Progress Made toward Improving Eel Production Technology 2
5 Wild Fluctuations of Fuel Prices 2

Chapter 1 Highlight 1: New Efforts to Maintain a Stable Supply of Fishery Products 3
Section 1. Toward Securing the Stable Supply of Fishery Products 3
Section 2. Factors and Structures Affecting the Stable Supply of Domestic Fishery Products 3
(1) Slackening Resources Levels 3
(2) Fishery Production Growing More Vulnerable 4
(3) Changes in Pricing and Distribution of Fishery Products 6
(4) Changes in Fishery Business Performances 7
(5) Flexible Responses to Social and Consumption Structure Changes 7
Section 3. Toward Enhancing Fisheries 8
(1) What Japan's Fisheries Are Being Asked to Do 8
(2) Specific Cases 8
(3) Conclusion 9

Chapter 1 Highlight 2: The Japanese Dining Table as Seen by Children 9
Section 1. A Growing Shift Away from Fish and the Impact of Children's Shift Away from Fish 10
(1) Fish Intake Slips below Meat Intake 10
(2) Why the Shift Away from Fish Is Accelerating 11
(3) Impact of Children's Shift Away from Fish 12
Section 2. Sound Eating Habits Developed through Family, Enterprise, Local Community, and School Ingenuity and Efforts -- Fish for Children -- 13
(1) Information on New Value 13
(2) Diffusing Cooking Methods for Home Cooks and Reducing Their Burden 13
(3) Proposals Sought from Fish Producing Areas 14
(4) Eating Together to Preserve the Fish-Eating Culture -- Techniques to Deepen Family Relationship 14
(5) Domestic Fish for School Lunches 15
(6) Fish-Eating Culture Learned through Various Experiences 15
(7) Conclusion – The Future of Fish-Eating Habits that Nurture Children 15

Chapter 2 Review of Japanese Fisheries since FY2007 16
Section 1 Fishery resources and the marine environment 16
Section 2 Developments surrounding Japan's fisheries industry 19
Section 3 Supply and demand and consumption of fishery products 22
Section 4 Development of Attractive Fishing Villages with the Use of Local Resources 25

O Fisheries Policy for FY2009 27
## 1 Securing Consumers' Confidence in Foods -- Including Fishery Products

The year 2008 saw a series of scandals affecting citizens' confidence in foods. Regarding fishery products, a dummy company was found to have falsely labeled grilled eel as produced in Isshiki, dealing a great shock to the eel production area.

☐ In the face of these scandals, the government has instructed the relevant parties to comply with food labeling requirements, based on the Japan Agricultural Standards Law.

☐ While government agents in charge of food labeling have been carrying out their surveillance and control on inappropriate labeling, the government has been implementing measures to secure food companies’ compliance with laws, regulations, and ethics.

Changes in Number of Instructions Based on JAS Law

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

A false label put on the back of a product in the eel mislabeling scandal

## 2 For the Sustainable Use of Tuna Resources

O Some tuna resources have deteriorated due to IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) disorderly fishing operations outside international frameworks, rising pressures for expanding catches, and other factors. Concerns exist about the adverse effects of tuna farming on resources.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have reduced their tuna catch quotas. ICCAT has created a system for ICCAT observers to inspect round haul netters and farming facilities to verify the quantity of Atlantic bluefin tuna catches being transferred to farming facilities.

The government promotes efforts to reduce the number of tuna longline fishing boats in far and adjacent seas by 87.

It is important to make efforts to preserve tuna resources for sustainable use over a long period of time.

Source: "FY2008 International Fish Resources," Fisheries Agency and Fisheries Research Agency
## 3 Toward the Sustainable Use of Whale Resources

Japan has implemented measures for the sustainable use of marine resources including whales.

At its 60th annual meeting, the International Whaling Commission agreed to create the Small Working Group on the future of the IWC. The SWG and IWC chairs prepared their views as a proposal for consideration at an intermediate meeting, and the SWG prepared views on the future of the IWC. Japan has been making efforts to normalize the IWC on the precondition of continued whaling for research purposes.

In February 2009, the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd conducted dangerous sabotage actions against Japan’s whaling research fleet, throwing bottles containing chemicals onto a ship and leading its boat to collide with a whaling research ship. The government has asked the relevant countries, including the country where the ship in question was registered, to take responsibility. The relevant Japanese government agencies are cooperating to secure safe whaling research operations.

The Sea Shepherd (right) collides with a whaling research ship (left).

## 4 Progress in Research -- Major Progress Made Toward Improving Eel Production Technology

In June and August 2008, researchers successfully caught four mature Japanese eels (two males and two females) and baby eels in the middle layer of waters in the southern West Mariana Ridge, achieving great progress in research into migration and spawning of parent eels for improving eel farming technology.

## 5 Wild Fluctuations in Fuel Prices

Prices of fuel oil for fishing rose sharply (the price of fuel oil A soared from 42.5 yen per liter in March 2004 to 124.6 yen per liter in August 2008), exerting a serious impact on fishery business management.

On July 15, 2008, fishery workers throughout Japan suspended operations in a bid to demonstrate that fuel oil price spikes were causing a crisis in Japan’s fishing industry.

In July 2008, the government implemented a package of emergency measures for fisheries affected by fuel oil spikes, including a emergency program to ease fuel oil price hikes. It also took advantage of a supplementary budget for FY2008 to implement various measures against fuel oil spikes.

☐ It is important to enhance the fishing industry to make it invulnerable to such fluctuations.

Changes in the Price of Fuel Oil A for Fishing

Source: Fisheries Agency

Fuel’s Share of Total Fishing Costs

(December 2008)

(%)

2006	2008
Small trawlers	23.8	30.1
Gill netters	15.8	20.6
Offshore trawlers	23.6	29.9
Coastal squid fishing boats	30.7	38.1
Chapter 1 Highlight 1: New Efforts to Maintain a Stable Supply of Fishery Products Section 1. Toward Securing the Stable Supply of Fishery Products

In order to improve the capacity to supply domestic fishery products, Japan should develop fishery resources and a rich marine environment to nurture them, a vigorous work environment where the undertakers of fisheries and sound fishery operators are trained and secured, a system where fishery products are processed and efficiently distributed according to consumer needs, and technologies supporting all of these. Supporting these efforts are fishing villages and other regional communities, and the infrastructure for fishery product production and provision.

Elements necessary for the stable supply of fishery products

Vigorous work environment where the undertakers of fisheries and sound fishery operators are trained and secured

Technologies

System for processing and distribution according to consumer needs

Section 2. Factors and Structures Affecting the Stable Supply of Domestic Fishery Products (1) A Slump in Resources Levels

Japan’s fish catches have halved from their peak due to Japan’s withdrawal from fishing grounds in foreign countries’ 200-mile fishing zones and a fast decline in Japanese pilchard stocks that repeat fluctuations in a large cycle.

Sources: “Annual Fishery Production Statistics,” Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; “Trade Statistics,” Ministry of Finance
Half of the fishery resources subject to assessment in the waters surrounding Japan are at low levels. Various factors are behind the decline in resources, including changes in the marine environment such as temperatures, a decline in seaweed beds and tidelands for the spawning and growth of fish through coastal development, and overfishing exceeding recovery potential for some resources.

O It is important to secure the management of resources, the preservation of seaweed beds and tidelands, and the rational use of fishery resources

Status of Resource Levels in the Waters Surrounding Japan in FY2008 (Overview)

Main species and stocks
High level	Saury (Northwestern Pacific stock)
Southern mackerel (Pacific and East China Sea stocks),
Japanese common squid (autumn stocks) etc.
Medium level	Japanese jack mackerel (Pacific and Tsushima warm current stocks),
Japanese common squid (winter stocks),
Snow crab (Northern Pacific and Sea of Japan stocks), etc.
Low level	Chub mackerel (Pacific and Tsushima warm current stocks),
Japanese pilchard (Pacific and Tsushima warm current stocks),
Alaska pollack (Northern Sea of Japan and Pacific stocks), etc.

Source: “Assessment of Fishery Resources in Japan’s Surrounding Waters,” Fisheries Agency and Fisheries Research Agency

Changes in the Area of Seaweed Beds and Tidelands

Sources: “Basic Survey on Natural Environment Conservation,” Ministry of the Environment; Fisheries Agency surveys (2007)

## (2) Fishery Production Growing More Vulnerable

O Fishing operation costs fluctuated wildly due to sharp hikes in fuel oil and production materials prices.

## Changes in Fisheries Production Material Price Indicators

Changes in fisheries production material price index (2005 = 100)

Sources: “Price Indexes Annual” and “Price Indexes Monthly,” Bank of Japan

Continuous glass fiber products

FRP used as materials for the body of a fishing vessel or ropes with increased strength

Plastic products (unsaturated polyester resin)

Materials for buoys and boxes to contain fish
O Fishery workers have been declining and aging. Japan’s number of fishery workers in 2007 stood at 204,000. Of male fishery workers, those aged at or above 65 accounted for 37.4%. New fishery workers numbered 1,081.

Sources: “Annual Fisheries Statistics” (1997), “Annual Fishery Labor Statistics” (2002), “Fisheries Census” (2003), and “Survey Report on Fishery Labor Trend” (from 2004), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Of fishery workers, those who say that they have a successor slip below 20%. It is feared that a shortage of young fishery workers will bring about a decline in the vitality of fisheries in the future.

O Replacements of fishing boats have failed to make progress due to the deterioration of fishing business performance. Fishing boats have been aging.

Presence or Absence of a Successor

Indicated by Questionnaire Survey of Fishery

Average Age of Offshore Trawlers

Source: “Present Situation and Problems of Fisheries as

Workers," Norinchukin Research Institute

Source: Fisheries Agency (January 2008)

Japan should enhance fisheries by developing and securing fishery operators that can withstand materials price fluctuations as seen over the recent years and by realizing efficient and highly profitable fisheries.
## (3) Changes in the Pricing and Distribution of Fishery Products

Fish prices usually fall on a rise in fish catches and rise on a fish catch decline. While fish catches declined from 1991 to 2006, no major hikes were seen in fish prices. Price gaps were seen between species.

O Various factors have combined in a complicated way to cap fish prices, including an increase in cheaper fishery product imports, mismatches between demand and production, and the growing presence of mass retailers requiring fish producers to keep prices at certain levels.

Changes in Fish Catches and Real Prices in Landing Areas

Changes in Japanese Horse Mackerel and Pilchard Catches and Real Prices in Landing Areas

Source: Prepared by Fisheries Agency based on “Fishery Product Distribution Statistics” by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

O Fishery products are distributed through two markets – a landing area wholesale market and a consumption area market. The wholesale market allows various fishery products from various landing areas to be auctioned for appropriate pricing under the basic principles of openness, equity, and fairness and provided to consumers promptly, efficiently, and stably.

Amid the diffusion of freezing and processing technologies, an increase in output from fish farms, the development of distribution and information technologies, and other changes, transactions on wholesale markets handling domestic products and their share of overall fishery product trades in Japan have gradually declined.

Changes in Wholesale Market Transactions and Their Share of Overall Fishery Product Trades in Japan

Source: “Wholesale Market Data (FY2008)
(Changes in Consumption Trends)

As consumers have increased their inclination for lower prices and simplicity, they have shifted from products for limited-volume, wide-variety production, seasonal products, fresh goods, and complete fish to products for large-volume, limited-variety production, non-seasonal products available throughout the year, frozen goods, and fillets.

(Relationship between Cost Hikes and Retail Prices)

While fishery product consumption has been declining, it is feared that any addition of production and distribution cost hikes to fishery product prices will reduce the frequency of consumers' fish purchases. Therefore, it is difficult to substantially raise retail prices.

Changes in the Consumer Price Index (Nationwide)

Source: “Consumer Price Index,” Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

(Need for Enhancing Sales Capacity at Fish Landing Areas)

O Fish landing areas should enhance their sales capacity through efforts to take advantage of little-used resources for developing commercial products by increasing added value and introducing advice from downstream-sector consumers and outside experts.

## (4) Changes in Fishery Business Performance

Business performance is relatively stable for small trawlers, scallop farmers, and large fixed-net operators that feature stable catches of relatively higher priced fishery products. Coastal squid fishing and far sea longline tuna fishing operations are vulnerable to fuel price fluctuations.

## (5) Flexible Responses to Changes in Social and Consumption Structures

Japan’s fishery product production, processing, and distribution structures should respond flexibly to changes in social and consumption structures.
### Section 3. Toward Enhancing Fisheries

## (1) What Japan's Fisheries Are Being Asked to Do

O As changes in the fish supply structure through falling fishery production and growing fishery imports have been coupled with changes in the consumption structure, the division of labor among producers, processors, and distributors has been changing.

Roles of Producers and Distributors Supplying Fishery Products

(2) Specific Cases

a. Toward Improvement of Domestic Production Capacity – Producers’ Efforts

O Efforts to use resources sustainably have made progress, including fishery workers’ management of resources and the introduction of the eco-label system. Structural fishing boat operation reforms have been implemented at various locations to improve profitability. Efforts have been made to train people undertaking fishing.

Leaving common fresh water clam resources in Lake Shinji to the next generation [Shimane Prefecture]

Management of common fresh water clam resources through restrictions on daily harvests, harvesting operation hours and locations, and a four-day workweek system. Lake bed cultivation and planting have been implemented throughout the lake. There are many successors.

Eco-label system expected to contribute to the sustainable use of resources

Snow crab resources in the Sea of Japan have been increasing thanks to fishermen's voluntary controls. In September 2008, snow crab and flathead flounder fishing operations by the Kyoto Prefecture federation of trawling fishermen received certification under an overseas eco-label system. In December 2008, red snow crab fishing operations in the Sea of Japan received the first certification under Japan's eco-label system.

Production and distribution reforms to invigorate local fisheries [Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture]

In April 2008, a mini-fleet of a carrier with search functions and a net fishing boat with transportation functions was adopted to reduce crewmembers and fuel costs.

As students come to know the condition of fishing through fishing experiences, their dreams to become fishermen grow [Ibaraki Prefecture]

At a Kaiyo High School and Ose fisheries cooperative in Ibaraki Prefecture, a local fisheries experiment station and a local education board cooperate in conducting practical fishing training programs to develop future fishermen.
Fish producers conduct retail operations to make consumers aware of their products' value. Distributors and retailers join hands with fish producers to enhance sales of domestic fishery products. There are a growing number of such activities.

Fish producers convey seasonal tastes to consumers [Saeki, Oita Prefecture]

Ten fishery workers in charge of fixed-net fishing, yellowtail and amberjack farming and Japanese flounder farming have founded a company, creating a joint fish processing facility to develop and produce local fish dishes. They also attend cooking training sessions.

Pursuing a multifaceted distribution system to meet the diversification of eating habits

[Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture]

A distribution center has been created outside the market to allow shippers to send goods directly to retailers through electronic commerce. Voice-entry and other systems have been introduced. Personnel costs and working hours have been reduced.

Fish producers convey the taste of familiar fish to consumers [Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture]

Company P has acquired the right to take part in a fish landing area market. It now buys fish through auctions and cooperates with fish producers to improve market prices. It devises methods to cook unused fish and proposes them at its retail shops. Fish producers have tried to keep fish fresh, contributing to improving fish prices.

Retailers’ cooperation with fish producers through direct transactions (Shimane Prefecture)

The JF Shimane fishery cooperative has started direct transactions with food retailer I. The retailer purchases all catches at designated fixed nets in Shimane Prefecture once a month. The diversification of distribution channels is expected to shorten the distance between fish producers and consumers.

## Using outsiders to improve business capacity and fish prices [Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture]

Fishery Company A has cooperated with Company N to improve business operations. When the pre-fixed minimum prices are not achieved, Company A buys all the products. Fishermen pack products according to their own unified standards for sales through channels explored by Company N. Fish prices have risen and earnings have improved.

## (3) Conclusion

In order to lead the people to make effective use of resources, Japan should improve its capacity to provide fishery resources through the introduction of new technology and ideas and should use domestic fishery resources to provide safe and reliable products that meet consumer needs.

To this end, Japan should promote the management of resources and develop more profitable fisheries by training and securing fishery operators through energy-saving and labor-saving fishing operations and the replacement of fishing boats. These efforts should be used to build a vigorous work environment. Fishery products' added value should be increased and the distribution efficiency improved.

☐ Each change for the better should be allowed to spread as a large wave throughout Japan. Japan’s fisheries have reached a turning point. A bright future for Japan’s fisheries will depend on current efforts.
## Chapter 1 Highlight 2: The Japanese Dining Table as Seen by Children

## -- The Future of Fish-Eating Habits that Nurture Children –

### Section 1. A Growing Shift Away from Fish and the Impact of Children's Shift Away from Fish

## (1) Fish Intake Slips below Meat Intake

A shift away from fish has been taking place. While fish intake has continued on a downtrend, meat intake has leveled off. In 2006, fish intake ended up slipping below meat intake.

Fish intake has declined for all ages. From 1997 to 2007, fish intake decreased by more than 20% for the 1 to 19 age group and by more than 30% for the 30 to 49 age group.

Changes in Fish and Meat Intake (through the years)

Sources: “National Nutrition Survey” (1995-2002) and “National Health and Nutrition Survey Report” (from 2003), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Changes in Fish and Meat Intake (comparison between age groups)

Sources: “National Nutrition Survey” (1997) and “National Health and Nutrition Survey Report” (2007), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
(2) Why the Shift Away from Fish is Accelerating

a. Environmental Changes Involving Children’s Eating Habits

O Not all children dislike fish. Sushi is very popular among children.

The reasons cited for disliking fish are as follows: "There are bones." "Fish are difficult to eat." "Eating fish is time-consuming." "I dislike fishy smells."

Who is the first to say “let’s east sushi”?

| Percentage
Child(ren) | 43.4
Oneself (wife) | 30.2
Husband | 24.7
Grandparents | 1.3
Other | 0.2
Unclear | 0.2

Do children like or dislike fish dishes?

Source: “Survey on Recognition of and Contacts with Sushi,” Mizkan Group Corp.

Source: “Survey on Consumption Including Fishery Products,” Japan Fisheries Association

Source: “Survey on Recognition of and Contacts with Sushi,” Mizkan Group Corp.

Reasons for disliking fish

Source: “Survey on Consumption Including Fishery Products,” Japan Fisheries Association

The percentage of children going to cram schools has increased. Of all children, 27.6% go to cram schools or take lessons and return home at or after 9 p.m. Opportunities have declined for children to eat together with other family members. The percentage of children who eat without their parents or alone has risen.

Changes over Time in the Percentage of Cram School Goers by Grade

Source: “Fact-finding Survey Report on Children’s Learning outside Schools” (2008), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Time for Returning Home from Cram Schools or Lessons

Source: "Fact-finding Survey Report on Regional Education Capacity" (2006), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology