Masanobu Sakamoto: Issues Facing Japan's Fisheries and for Sustainable Development

January 18, 2023

In December 2020, the Fishery Act (Revised Fishery Act), which legally defines Japan's fisheries and fishers, was revised and enacted for the first time in 70 years.

Seventy years ago, I was not yet born, but the Japanese government's policy at the time was to provide the Japanese people with fish as a nutritious source of protein, and furthermore, to venture out into the world's oceans to catch fish and export them to earn foreign currency.

Fishers followed this national policy, actively engaging in fishing and gathering fish from oceans around the world. Combined with a diet traditionally centered on rice and fish, Japan became the world's leading fishing nation, reaching its peak in 1984 with a recorded production volume of 12.82 million tons.

However, production has continued to decline since then, falling to 4.17 million tons in 2021, about one-third of its peak.

Various factors have been pointed out as causes for this.

Looking at the long-term trends in Japan's fishery production, pelagic fishing—operating in waters far from Japan—decreased from a peak of 3.99 million tons (1973) to 250,000 tons (2021) after being driven out of fishing grounds by the establishment of 200-nautical-mile zones by various countries since the 1970s. Additionally, Japanese sardines, known for extreme natural fluctuations in resource levels, saw catches of 4.49 million tons at their peak in 1988, but decreased significantly after the late 1990s, falling to as low as 27,000 tons in 2005 (680,000 tons in 2021). In addition to these two major factors, it has been pointed out that since the period of high economic growth, 40% of seagrass beds and tidal flats have disappeared due to coastal reclamation, leading to the loss of nursery grounds for juvenile fish and habitats for shellfish and benthic organisms.

The impact of the decline in pelagic fishing and sardines on production trends has been very significant. Furthermore, if we exclude these decreases, production in the waters around Japan has not seen a major drop over many years. This aligns with the actual experience of us fishers, who have traditionally continued sustainable operations while practicing various forms of voluntary management.

For example, set-net fishing, a representative of coastal fisheries, is a "waiting" method that waits for schools of fish. Therefore, the catch increases when resources are abundant and decreases when they are scarce, which is why it is also called a "barometer of resource status." In Japan, not only set-nets but also methods that harmonize with nature, such as pole-and-line and gillnet fishing, have traditionally developed and supported Japan's fishing communities.

However, looking at the last decade since around 2010, coastal production, which had been trending toward a gradual decline for a long time, has also begun to drop sharply.

This sharp decline in catch is said to be a manifestation of recent changes in the marine environment. For instance, links to environmental changes have been pointed out, such as the significant decrease in Pacific saury due to migration routes moving offshore because of changes in ocean currents, the decrease in Japanese flying squid due to the shrinking of spawnable areas caused by rising water temperatures, and the decrease in salmon due to the shrinking of distributable areas caused by rising temperatures in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans.

These changes in the sea are a major threat, especially to us fishers who make a living from coastal fisheries utilizing aquatic resources that migrate to the local shores. In response to this situation, fishers are determined to actively engage in new resource management under the Revised Fishery Act, in addition to conventional voluntary efforts, to continue sustainable fishery production while protecting resources. On the other hand, alongside these efforts, policy initiatives such as promoting the use of new migratory fish species and transitioning to other fishing methods in response to marine environmental changes have become necessary.

The government's new Basic Plan for Fisheries, approved by the Cabinet in March 2022, pointed out the effects of these marine environmental changes and clearly stated the need for responses and initiatives for the fishing industry to overcome this situation for its survival. Regarding coastal fisheries in particular, the plan outlined directions such as utilizing new aquatic resources according to changes in migration, new aquaculture businesses, and strengthening the value chain and increasing added value in processing and distribution by taking advantage of the proximity between production and consumption sites.

There are still many challenges for coastal fishers and fisheries cooperatives to address. These include measures for the management stability of fishers, building a system with collection and price-forming power through the integration of local markets, human resource development to lead these efforts, CO2 reduction measures through the conservation of seagrass beds and tidal flats, and promoting the use of coastal areas through "Umigyo" (marine business).

In this situation, does it mean that Japanese fisheries are losing their sustainability as an industry? Not at all. I personally believe that "Japanese fisheries are by no means a declining industry. Rather, they have great potential."

Japanese fisheries were originally an industry born from being surrounded by rich seas, and a culture of "fish-eating" and "Washoku" (Japanese cuisine) centered on fish has been nurtured and developed. Meanwhile, while Norway has positioned aquatic products as export commodities and worked on them as a nation, domestic fish consumption is not very active.

However, Japan has an inherent "fish-eating culture," and even as aquatic product consumption declines, sushi consistently ranks high in "children's favorite food rankings." On television travel programs, what the performers eat with such relish is almost always fresh sashimi or fish dishes unique to that region.

We fishers have operated sustainable fisheries rooted in this fish-eating culture while protecting the aquatic resources in these rich seas. I believe the path Japanese fisheries should take is to continue utilizing these resources more effectively in the future and to ensure that people around the world desire Japanese aquatic products even more than before.

Japan's fish-eating culture, including sushi, is recognized by the world, even without citing its registration as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. There is a significant opportunity for people from all over the world to come to Japan and eat even more fish.

In Japan, fishers in every corner of the country engage in fishing locally and have utilized the landed aquatic products as ingredients in various forms. Today, branded fish bearing place names, such as "Seki Saba" (mackerel), "Oma Tuna," and "Choshi Saury," are spreading, centered on fishing ports across the country.

Furthermore, the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations (JF Zengyoren) has been developing the "Pride Fish" project to let many consumers know about these seasonal fish that fishers are proud of. In order to eat these aquatic products, visitors to Japan might come and visit not only large cities like Tokyo or famous tourist spots like Kyoto, but also the production areas themselves, wondering, "Where did this sushi topping come from?"

In the post-COVID era, I hope visitors to Japan will visit the various shores where fresh fish are landed. And I expect that when Japanese people see them finding value in aquatic products, they will rediscover the value of eating fish, leading to an expansion of fish consumption among Japanese people as well.

What is important here is the communication of the "culture" of eating fish. By having many people visit fishing villages, we want to broadly communicate the fish-eating and Washoku culture to revitalize those regions. To promote these charms, we intend to actively collaborate with the tourism industry, restaurants, and chefs.

Furthermore, to protect and develop the fish-eating culture, we want to advance various initiatives, such as incorporating local fish into school lunches, teaching children directly at schools, and conveying the deliciousness and ways to prepare fish to their parents.

Today, countries around the world are paying attention to Japan's fishery resources and coming to the waters near Japan to fish. This shows that Japan's seas are a precious asset from a global perspective.

On the other hand, aquatic resources are decreasing due to complex factors such as changes in ocean currents and rising seawater temperatures. In coastal fisheries in particular, there is a reality where aquatic resources are not easily recovering despite fishers' hard work in resource management and marine conservation activities.

Nevertheless, there are resources in Japan's seas, and we fishers must save Japan and the world from food crises by protecting and utilizing those resources. This is a prerequisite for protecting the fish-eating culture. I want to strongly appeal these points to many people and further enhance the existential value of the fishing industry.

In the government's current Basic Plan for Fisheries, the promotion of "Umigyo" (marine business) was positioned to revitalize fishing villages. Umigyo refers to initiatives where people in fishing villages utilize the value and charm of regional resources related to the sea and fishing villages to increase income opportunities. By cooperating with industries other than fishing and aiming for the development of fishing villages and fisheries that leverage regional characteristics, I believe it holds great potential for turning the fishing and aquatic industries into growth industries.

In my hometown of Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, activities are underway to revitalize the region with offshore wind power generation as the core. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the fisheries cooperative are jointly planning wind power maintenance businesses and initiatives to use fishing boats for visitors to go and see the wind power generation.

Furthermore, according to overseas examples of wind power generation, an increase in benthos (bottom-dwelling organisms such as polychaetes and small shrimp that serve as fish food) and an aggregation effect that attracts fish like an artificial reef have been confirmed around the fixed foundations supporting offshore wind turbines. It is expected that nursery grounds for juvenile fish can be created in conjunction with offshore wind power. It is important for us to cooperate with relevant businesses to ensure a win-win relationship between the local fishing industry and the wind power generation business.

The reef effect is demonstrated, fishers catch the fish that gather there, and those fish are provided to nearby inns and shops. The electricity needed for such business is supplied by wind power. I hope this will lead to the birth of a new form of circular industry in the region.

Life in a fishing village is not originally about one person winning it all. Everyone recognizes each other's value, empathizes, and works together to support one another. That is a community-based fishing village.

Sustaining the fishing industry also means protecting these rich Japanese seas and nurturing the sustainable lives of fishing villages and the Japanese food culture rooted there. Keeping this in mind, I want to work toward the sustainable development of the fishing industry.