Ocean Newsletter
No.590 March 5, 2025
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Development of Fish Stock Management at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
HIRUMA Shinji (Assistant Director, International Affairs Division, Fisheries Agency (Planning Team))
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is a regional fisheries management organization that manages tuna stocks, with 26 countries and regions, including Japan, as members. Pacific bluefin tuna stock, which at one time had declined to historic lows, have shown a steady recovery as a result of resource management through the adoption of conservation and management measures by the WCPFC, and WCPFC officially adopted an catch limit increase by 1.1 times for small fish and 1.5 times for large fish at its annual meeting that were held from the end of November 2024.
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Sustainable Fisheries: From the Perspectives of "Catching" and "Eating"
WADA Tokio (Executive Director, Japan Fisheries Scoence & Technology Association)
While the state of fishery resources around Japan appears to be relatively stable, the decline in fishery production continues. To achieve a sustainable fishery industry and build a resilient fishery supply and demand system, in addition to maintaining resources "while catching" based on the maximum sustainable yield, it is essential to maintain a production system "while eating" through conscious efforts to produce locally for local consumption, taking into account the characteristics of Japan's fisheries, which are a high-variety, low-volume production.
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MSC Certification and Skipjack and Tuna Fisheries
ISHII Kozo (Program Director, MSC Japan)
The number of tuna fisheries that have obtained MSC fisheries certification, which is proof of a sustainable fishery, is increasing worldwide, and the background to this is the global expansion of the market for MSC-certified tuna. Obtaining and maintaining MSC fisheries certification also contributes to the development and implementation of appropriate management measures for tuna resources by regional fisheries management organizations, and the choosing of MSC-labeled tuna products by consumers will help preserve tuna resources for the future.
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IUU Fishing and Japan from the Perspective of Shark Finning
HANAOKA Wakao (CEO, Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.)
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major threat to the sustainability of seafood resources in the world's oceans. Shark fin is known as a luxury food ingredient around the world, best known for its use in shark fin soup. Unfortunately, a practice known as shark finning, –in which a shark is captured, only its fins are removed and the finless shark is thrown back into the ocean alive–prevails. It is prohibited in many countries and regions due to its cruelty and for the protection of endangered shark species. Shark finning is a typical example of IUU fishing.