Masanobu Sakamoto: Issues Facing the Japanese Fishing Industry and Sustainable Development

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.

Following this national policy, fishers actively engaged in fishing and gathered 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 production volume of 12.82 million tons.

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

Various factors have been pointed out as causes for this.

Looking at the long-term trends in Japanese fishery production, deep-sea fishing—which operates 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, coastal areas have been reclaimed, resulting in the loss of 40% of seaweed beds and tidal flats. This loss of nursery grounds for juvenile fish and habitats for shellfish and benthic organisms is also cited as a factor in the decline of catches.

The decline in deep-sea fishing and sardines has had a very large impact on production trends. However, if we exclude these decreases, production in the waters surrounding Japan has not seen a major decline over many years. This aligns with the actual experience of us fishers, who have continued sustainable operations while traditionally performing various forms of voluntary management.

For example, set-net fishing, a representative of coastal fishing, is a "waiting fishery" that waits for schools of fish. Therefore, it is also called a "barometer of resource status" because the catch is high when resources are abundant and low when resources are scarce. In Japan, not only set-nets but also fishing methods that coexist with nature, such as line fishing and gillnets, have traditionally developed and supported Japanese fishing villages.

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

This sharp decline in catches is said to be a recent manifestation of changes in the marine environment. For example, links to environmental changes have been pointed out in the significant decrease in Pacific saury due to migration routes moving further 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 to us fishers, especially those who make a living from coastal fishing utilizing fishery 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, along with these efforts, policy initiatives such as promoting the utilization 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. Particularly for coastal fisheries, the plan positioned directions such as the utilization of new fishery resources according to changes in migration, new aquaculture businesses, and the strengthening of processing and distribution value chains and high-value addition by taking advantage of the proximity between production and consumption sites.

There are many challenges for coastal fishers and fishery cooperatives to tackle in the future. These include measures to stabilize the management of fishers, the construction of systems with collection and price-forming power through the integration of local markets, the development of human resources to lead these efforts, CO2 reduction measures through the conservation of seaweed beds and tidal flats, and the promotion of coastal area utilization such as "Umigyo" (ocean-based businesses).

Does this situation mean that the Japanese fishing industry is losing its sustainability as an industry? Not at all. I personally believe that "the Japanese fishing industry is by no means a declining industry. Rather, it has great potential."

The Japanese fishing industry was originally born surrounded by rich seas, and a culture of "fish-eating" and "Washoku" (Japanese cuisine) centered on fish was nurtured and developed. Meanwhile, while Norway has worked as a nation to position seafood as an export product, domestic fish consumption is not very active there.

However, Japan has an inherent "fish-eating culture," and even as seafood consumption decreases, sushi is a regular top contender in "rankings of children's favorite foods." On television travel programs, what the performers eat with such relish is almost always fresh sashimi or fish dishes unique to that region.

Rooted in this fish-eating culture, we fishers have operated sustainable fisheries while protecting the fishery resources in these rich seas. I believe the path the Japanese fishing industry should take is to utilize these resources more effectively for the future and ensure that people around the world seek Japanese seafood even more than before.

Japanese 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 the seafood landed there has been utilized as ingredients in various forms. Today, branded fish bearing local names, such as "Seki Saba," "Oma Tuna," and "Choshi Saury," are spreading, centered on fishing ports across the country.

Furthermore, the JF Zengyoren has been developing the "Pride Fish" project to let many consumers know about these seasonal fish that fishers are proud of. The desire to eat these seafood products could be a catalyst for visitors to Japan to 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-pandemic era, I hope that visitors to Japan will visit the various shores where fresh fish are landed. And I expect that when Japanese people see these visitors finding value in seafood, they will rediscover the value of eating fish, leading to an expansion of fish consumption among the 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 vigorously promote the fish-eating and Washoku culture to revitalize those regions. To communicate 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 promote various initiatives, such as incorporating local fish into school lunches, teaching children directly at schools, and conveying the deliciousness and methods of preparing fish to their parents.

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

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

Even so, 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 advocate 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" was positioned for the revitalization of 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. It aims for the development of fishing villages and fisheries by collaborating with industries other than fishing and utilizing regional characteristics, and I believe it holds great potential for turning the fishing and fishery industries into growth industries.

In my hometown of Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, we are also conducting activities aimed at regional revitalization centered on offshore wind power generation. The Chamber of Commerce and the Fishery Cooperative are jointly planning initiatives such as wind power maintenance businesses and using fishing boats to take outside visitors to see the wind power generation.

Furthermore, according to overseas examples of wind power, an increase in benthos (benthic 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 that the local fishing industry and the wind power business have a win-win relationship.

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 something where one person wins alone. Everyone recognizes each other's value, empathizes, and works together to support one another. That is a fishing village centered on the community.

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.