The Outcome Document from Rio+20, held in June of 2012, pointed out the need for transparency and accountability in fisheries management carried out by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO). As fish resources around the world are in general being over-exploited, the importance and responsibility of RFMO conservation and management of international fish resources increase every year. One of their challenges, therefore, is to increase transparency and accountability in their implementation of resource assessments and conservation and management measures.

Data regarding the ocean accumulates observations and surveys carried out by multiple ministries, agencies, and public institutes, but the location and even existence of that data is not well known among the general public. Centralization of data would promote a more user-friendly environment and thus more use of the ocean. This idea is also set forth in the Integration of Marine Related Information section of the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy. To help bring this integration about, the Japan Coast Guard has begun the building of its Marine Cadastre, as an information tool in support of ocean policy and made it available to the public.

Zozu mountain is blessed with great scenic beauty and along its slopes can be found the Kotohira shrine that houses Konpira-san, a protector god of the ocean, beloved of the common people. At the foot of the mountain is the Kotohira Maritime Museum, opened in 1966, a regional maritime museum intent on providing information to the next generation of young people, so that they can develop their understanding of and interest in the ocean and maritime affairs.