## (Risk of Japan's unstable imports of fish and fishery products in the future)

- Due to the growth in demand worldwide, the prices of Japan's imports of fish and fishery products have been on the rise. But while many countries' imports of key fish and fishery products have increased, the share of Japan's imports has been on a relative decline.

- There is an undeniable risk that Japan's imports of fish and fishery products will become unstable in the future.

### Changes in the import prices of fish and fishery products (exchange rate fixed at the rate as of April 30, 2013: 1 dollar = 97.82 yen)

Source: Compiled by the Fisheries Agency based on Ministry of Finance, Trade Statistics.

## World trade of shrimps/prawns and salmons/trouts (changes in major importers and import prices)

Source: Compiled by the Fisheries Agency based on FAO, Fishstat (Commodities Production and Trade) (data for countries other than Japan) and Ministry of Finance, Trade Statistics (data for Japan).

## (3) Fish and fishery products supporting a healthy diet for Japanese people

- Fish and fishery products are important sources of animal protein, vitamins, and essential minerals. They also contain plenty of functional components, including highly unsaturated fatty acids (DHA, EPA).

- Many studies have revealed the health benefits of eating fish and fishery products.

Intake of nutrients, etc. by food group (per capita per day)

Intake (g)	Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Potassium (mg)	Calcium (mg)	Magnesium (mg)	Iron (mg)	Vitamin D ( $ \mu $ g)	Vitamin E (mg)	Vitamin B12 ( $ \mu $ g)
Total intake	2027.5	1840	67.0	54.0	2189.4	507.3	232.5	7.5	7.1	7.8	6.1
Intake from fish	72.7	114	13.6	5.2	182	37	23	0.7	5.5	0.9	4.3
Intake from other meats	83.6	196	14.2	14.0	203	5	15	0.7	0.2	0.3	0.7
Intake from eggs	34.8	52	4.2	3.4	39	18	4	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.3
Intake from milk	122.7	92	4.4	4.6	157	148	13	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.4
Percentage of intake from fish	3.6%	6.2%	20.2%	9.7%	8.3%	7.2%	9.8%	9.0%	78.1%	11.8%	71.0%

Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011).

Major functional components contained in fish and fishery products

Functional components	Fish and fishery products with high content	Component outline/expected effects
DHA	Fatty meat of bluefin tuna, salmon roe, yellowtail, mackerel	- Highly unsaturated fatty acid contained in large amounts in fish oil- Promotion of brain development, dementia prevention, prevention of a decrease in vision, prevention and reduction of arteriosclerosis, anticancer effect, etc.
EPA	Sardine, fatty meat of bluefin tuna, mackerel, yellowtail	- Highly unsaturated fatty acid contained in large amounts in fish oil- Thrombosis prevention, anti-inflammatory effect, hypertension prevention, etc.
Astaxanthin	Salmon, krill, spotted shrimp, red sea bream	- One type of carotenoid- In vivo antioxidant action, immune function enhancement effect
Taurine	Spiny top shell, oyster, cuttlefish, dark meat of tuna	- One type of amino acid- Prevention of arteriosclerosis, prevention of heart disease, gallstone prevention, anemia prevention, enhancement of hepatic detoxification effect, recovery in vision, etc.
Algin acid	Brown seaweeds (mozuku seaweed, hiziki, wakame seaweed, kelp, etc.)	- One type of high molecular polysaccharide; a dietary fiber contained in mucilage of brown seaweeds- Cholesterol-lowering effect, effect of inhibiting a rise in blood sugar levels, constipation prevention effect, etc.
Fucoidan	Brown seaweeds (mozuku seaweed, barilla, wakame seaweed, kelp, etc.)	- One type of high molecular polysaccharide; a dietary fiber contained in mucilage of brown seaweeds- Anticancer effect, anticoagulant activity, immune function enhancement effect, etc.
Anserine	Tuna, skipjack, salmon, shark	- A dipeptide consisting of two amino acids- Antioxidant action, effect of lowering uric acid level, pH-buffering effect, etc.
Balenine	Whale	- A dipeptide consisting of two amino acids- Anti-fatigue effect through antioxidant action

Source: Compiled by the Fisheries Agency based on data from Fisheries Research Agency, etc.