Shunji Murakami, Jocelyn Drugan, Ayumu Katano, Yu-ichiro Meguro

Seafood Summit 2016

Nurturing fishery improvement in Japan

oceanoutcomes.org

Nearly 85% of federally managed fisheries in Japan are fully exploited to overfished

Source: Packard Foundation Seafood Metrics Report, 2013

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

oceanoutcomes.org

Fishing communities declining

● Less than 3% of the workforce is under age 25 ● Approximately, 800,000 jobs lost since 1960s ● About 70% of fishing cooperatives operate with

financial losses, rely on financial support from federal government

oceanoutcomes.org

Goals for this panel

●Provide high level picture of fishery issues and need for sustainability improvements in Japan

●Describe perspectives from fishermen and

industry stakeholders

●Identify potential barriers and pathways to more effective fishery engagement and improvement

Perspectives on the water ~ Challenges and Opportunities for fishery

improvement projects in Japan ~

Shunji Murakami

Japan Program Director

oceanoutcomes.org

Overview of Management structure

● Japan Fishery Agency (JFA) ○Government to develop policy and management

scheme for all of Japanese fisheries

●Fishery Research Agency (FRA) ○Scientific body to assess stock status and provide

scientific evidence and advice for JFA

●Federations of Fishery Cooperatives ○Management body established in each prefecture to

manage fishery cooperatives in its prefecture

●Fishery Cooperatives ○Maintain exclusive access rights to fish in coastal

areas

oceanoutcomes.org

Production Volume and Market trends

● Total Production Volume (including aquaculture) ○ In 2014, approximately production volume of 4.8

million metrics ton which has been in decline trend

● Export volume ○ In 2014, 470,000 MT, which was 15% decline from

previous year ○Scallops, Salmon (Chum), Amberjack, Tunas,

Mackerel, Skipjack, Sea Cucumber

● Domestic markets ○Roughly 90% of seafood produced in Japan stay in

domestic market

Wakayama Albacore

Rausu flying squid

Aomori P. Bluefin/ J. Amberjack

Fishery Outreach Map

oceanoutcomes.org

O2 Approach

●Offering technical consulting services for fishery improvements

●Support for third-party certification or/and FIP ●Market connections ●Collaborating with industry leaders and NGOs ●Relationship/trust building with community ●Others approaches…. trying new stuff

❏Nachi Katsuura Port

❏Species: Albacore

❏Volume: 9000 mt

❏Gear type: Offshore long-line

Offshore Long-Line Albacore

Fishery

✓MSC pre assessment done

in 2012 (2 vessels)

✓FIP towards MSC

What they care about :

❖ Market rewards

❖ Relationships within its

community

❖ 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Set-net fishery in Aomori

• Company: Horiei Set-net (Aomori Kaisan)

• Species: Pacific Bluefin Tuna, Amberjack

• Volume: 105 (mt) P. Bluefin tuna, 109 (mt) J.

Amberjack

Improvements undertaken ■ Reduce catches of juveniles

❖Reduce operations 3 to 1

❖Gear modification

❖Monitoring

What they care about :

● Market rewards

● Relationship with government

Rausu flying squid fisheries • Client: Rausu Cooperative of Fishery Association

• Species: Chum Salmon, Flying Squid

• Gear types: Set-net, gill net, hand-line

• Average volume: 9500 mt (set-net, gill net, hand-

line),

What they care about :

■ Market rewards

■ Existing supply chain

■ Strengthen their position on

market

Japan Updates

Ocean Outcomes

“VOICE” from fishermen

■ Measureable market

incentives

■ Respect existing

relationships

■ Political involvement

■ Alternative market

recognition

■ Harmony within its

fishing community

oceanoutcomes.org

Challenges

● Lack of measureable market rewards

●Social pressure for reforms

●Political pressure for reforms

●Decision making process is precautionary

●Relationship oriented

“

oceanoutcomes.org

All about relationship Smooth Sake, Smooth relationship “

oceanoutcomes.org

Japanese fisheries landscape: scientific perspective

Jocelyn Drugan

oceanoutcomes.org

Applying an ‘outside’ approach to fisheries sustainability is a challenge

- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): 2 certified fisheries, one in assessment

oceanoutcomes.org

Better understanding the fisheries landscape through rapid assessments

- Evaluate important fishery species against MSC performance indicators

- Identify key sustainability issues within and across fisheries

- Build positive collaborations

oceanoutcomes.org

11 economically important species or species groups

Japanese amberjack (ブリ)

Arabesque greenling (ホッケ)

Bigeye tuna (メバチ)

Chub and blue mackerel (マサバ、ゴマサバ)

Japanese flying squid (スルメイカ)

Japanese jack mackerel (マアジ)

Pacific bluefin tuna (クロマグロ)

Pacific saury (サンマ)

Skipjack tuna (カツオ)

Walleye pollock (スケトウダラ)

Yellowfin tuna (キハダ)

oceanoutcomes.org

Rapid assessment method

● Covers 3 MSC principles (stock status, ecosystem impacts, management system)

● Subset of 19 performance indicators

○ predictive of MSC scoring performance

○ can identify key improvement needs

● Scoring ranges, including ranges below 60

oceanoutcomes.org

Example: skipjack tuna

Sustainability issues:

- lack of robust harvest strategy to prevent overfishing

- purse seine fisheries may have substantial bycatch

oceanoutcomes.org

Higher scoring Lower scoring

Observations across fisheries

● Emphasis on bottom-up management

● Lack of precautionary harvest strategies, e.g.

minimal catch limits

● Bycatch monitoring and strategies needed

● Economically important stocks regularly

assessed, data made publicly available

oceanoutcomes.org

Some considerations

● These are broad-level assessments--individual

fisheries will vary in their practices, especially

given emphasis on independent management

● Can provide a head-start for further fisheries

engagement

Learn more at oceanoutcomes.org

The correct information must be given by

somebody for seafood industry in Japan

seafood Summit 2016 Malta 3/Feb/2016

• The correct information must be given in Japan. Unbelievable knowledge has been

provided on resource management for poor fishermen, which has mislead Japanese

seafood industry heavily and made it unsustainable.

・ I believe that to keep providing correct information will change general idea and action

for right direction.

Ayumu Katano

27

http://wedge.ismedia.jp/category/gyogyou

Significant different trend between world and Japanese catch３

World

Japan

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)

unit (1,000mt)

180,0

00

14,00

0

160,0

00

140,0

00

120,0

00

100,0

00

80,00

0

60,00

0

40,00

0

20,00

0

12,00

0

10,00

0

8000

6,000

4,000

2,000

28

Projected total fish production by Region in 2030

29 World bank report

30

Lots of small mackerel 300g under

mackerel are being caught. Majority

of school were born in 2013.

Maturity of Pacific and Atlantic

mackerel are almost same.

(Nippon suisan gakkai)

31

Pacific

mackerel age

Atlantic

mackerel

Age

32

Two different stocks of mackerel (scomber Japonics )

Biomass

approx.570,000mt

Biomass

approx.1,470,000mt

(2014)

Spawning

area Feeding

area

Fishing

area

Mackerel ( Scomber japonicus & Scomber australasicus）

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

Quota (A)

902 701 685 717 635 575 765 746 655

Catch

(B)

512 428 372 426 464 442 473 408 626

(B)/(A)

%

58% 61% 54% 59% 73% 77% 62% 55% 96%

33

Japanese mackerel in total

（season base)

TAC 2015 905,000mt

34

Mackerel in Pacific Ocean

Japan

trend current level

low increasing

Biomass 2014 1,470,000mt 2013 1,360,000mt Fishery Research Agency

35

Pacific herring in Japan

Edit from data from Rumoi kakoukumiai

Why fish has been decreased in Japan?

• There is a dialogue on homepage of the Fishery Agency in 2000. A

schoolboy asked why fish has decreased? The Agency explained

based on two reasons. This dialog stands for the tragedy in Japan.

1: Environmental factor of higher temperature might not be favor for

sardine which had composed of the biggest volume in the past.

2: Restriction of 200 miles zone made deep sea pelagic fishing

of Japanese fishing vessels difficult position to find fishing ground.

Both of the above reasons are correct. However fatal factors were

not included ,those are, virtually no idea of sustainability as viewed by

advanced countries in terms of seafood sustainability. The schoolboy would

misunderstand that Japanese fishermen must be protected because they

are victim of world politics and change of natural environment.

36

How Japanese fishermen feel about

biomass?

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)

How Japanese fishermen think about the

reason why?

How Japanese fishermen think about domestic biomass

and why so?

37

ABC , TAC and Catch are very close

on Alaskan Pollack in USA

38 Average discrepancies are only 2% between TAC

and catch since 1977.Excellent !

Seafood News

The typical misery result of self control

39

Unit mt Alaskan Pollack TAC and catch at Sea of Japan

2013 E 1997

catch

TAC has been set since 1997

What we have to do to restore resource

in Japan

Summary

1To keep providing actual information widely.

1To study abroad where they manage to control seafood resource.

1To install Individual Quota system(IQ,ITQ(IFQ),IVQ )system based on

scientific control.

4 To inform consumers what we should eat and should not eat.

40

Former Official, Fishery Department of

Niigata Prefecture Government

Yu-ichiro Meguro

Case Study: Rights-based

Management (IQ system)

for Shrimp fishery in Niigata

Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalus eous)

Traps

Demersal

trawl

Olympic

NO TAC

Individual Quota (IQ)

Local TAC

Background

IQ model project

(t)

10’ 05’ 00’ 95’ 90’ 85’ 80’ 75’ 70’ 65’ 60’ 55’

Downward trend

Niigata Pref.,

Japan

Total catch of A.P. shrimp in Niigata

How did the IQ model project start?

⦿ Who took initiative?

Suggestion

Commission

⦿ What made fishermen get involved in the project?

1．Leadership of a trustworthy fisherman in the fishery

(Captain of the Shrimp trap fishing)

2. Respected officers and researchers in the local government

Mayor of Niigata Pref.

Hirohiko Izumida

Executive Director

Dr. Masayuki Komatsu

⦿ First responses from fishermen and other stakeholders?

Suspicious, Retrospective, Protective, Self concerned,

Angry sometime.

3. Subsidies to compensate drop of income

Aims of the IQ model program

⦿ Provide Scientific Advice

⦿ Change Governance Systems

⦿ Provide Managerial

Advice

⦿ Setting TAC & IQ for A.P. shrimp fishery in Niigata Pref.

⦿ Enlarging net of traps

Net size 10.5 ➡ 10.0

⦿ Changing permit on the fishery

Banned season: July & Aug. ➡ No banned season

⦿ Reforming fishing operation

Operation by two boats ➡ Operation by one boat with the

same numbers of traps

Role of

the IQ model

program committee /

the Government

Net size

Knot Knot

Ca. 15cm

Action Plan to introduce IQ system to the shrimp fishery

(5 years: 2011-2016)

⦿ Provide Scientific Advice:

Stock assessment, Suggesting TAC based on ABC, Simulation of economic impact

⦿ Change Governance Systems:

Creating an executive committee, Improving monitoring and catch report

system, Decision making on TAC & IQ, Changing fishing permits for fishermen

⦿ Provide Managerial Advice:

Market research on Price, Demand, Market structure, BS/PL analysis for

fishermen

It’s me preparing

traps for recruitment

survey!!

Improved stock analysis: Data accumulation, Recruitment

survey, and Cohort analysis

Achievements: Scientific Advice (4 years: 2011-2015)

⦿ Stock assessment

⦿ Simulation of economic impact

⦿ Suggesting TAC based on ABC

Found abundant year classes (Year of 2010, and 2014)

Suggested TAC for the committee, which is currently

agreed by the most of shrimp fishermen

Informed the estimation about short decrease

of catch & income after expanding net size

Catch (t) Biomass (t)

Model project

Income (YEN)

⦿ Created an executive committee

Successfully involved stakeholders with different backgrounds

(Fishermen, Fishmongers, Retailers, Consumers, Researchers, Government)

Achievements: Change Governance system (4 years: 2011-

2015)

⦿ Strengthened Monitoring and Catch report system

Inhibited an IUU fishing by hiring an employee to examine the Catch in

the landing port.

⦿ Made cooperative agreements on TAQ and IQ

⦿ Changed fishing permits for fishermen

Assuaged restrictions on gear and season: no season restriction

⦿ Price analysis

Average Price: €20/Kg (L size), UP: Aug.& Dec., weekends

Achievements: Provide Managerial Advice (4 years: 2011-2015)

⦿ Demand analysis

Price elasticity (Sensibility to Demand): L size (>1.0), Other (<1.0)

⦿ BS/PL analysis for fishermen

Suggested practical management plan with reduced cost

by combining groups of fishermen to a business group.

⦿ Market structure analysis and Sales Promotion

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Sushi R

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House

Average Price:

€20/Kg (L size)

Price for consumers:

€78/Kg (Pers. Ref.)

Supe

rmark

et

Integrative Achievements of the IQ model program as of 2015

⦿ Setting TAC & IQ for A.P. shrimp fishery of Niigata Pref.

⦿ Enlarging the net of traps

⦿ Changing restrictions

⦿ Reforming fishing operation

Achieved a base line for sustainable management!!

Stock status UP!! Income UP!!

Bigger Shrimps!! Less hustle!!

Fishermen are happy!!

Remaining challenges

⦿ Provide Scientific Advice:

⦿ Not many researchers are active in teaching/releasing

information about overfishing reports in Japan.

⦿ Change Governance Systems:

⦿ Fishermen operating trawl fishing have not joined

the project.

⦿ Necessity to spread the project over the whole A.P.

shrimp fishing.

⦿ Marketing and logistics reform to increase the value

of sustainable seafood.

⦿ Appreciation and reward to stake holders who made effort.

⦿ Provide Managerial Advice:

⦿ Making a business with less cost and strong marketing skills.