Sustainability of Marine Resources

Sustainable Use of Natural Marine Resources

The world’s marine resources are being depleted and according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2024, the stock of only 11.8% of marine resources of the world was stable, while the stock of 50.5% had been fully exploited and the stock of 37.7% had been overexploited. We believe that the status of marine resources is extremely important in terms of medium- to long-term business risks and opportunities for the Nissui Group, which is engaged in businesses that utilize the bounty of the sea.
For this reason, we conduct a survey on the status of marine resources procured by the Nissui Group as a whole, for the purpose of getting a grasp of the resource status of its procured fish and identifying the issues to be addressed. In addition, we promote initiatives aimed at the sustainable use of marine resources on a Group-wide scale.

Nissui has conducted a resources survey based on the results of the volume of natural and processed marine products at Nissui and its 36 Group companies (16 in and 20 outside Japan), both caught by Nissui Group fisheries and procured from outside parties in 2022. The total volume of fish handled by the Nissui Group totaled approximately 2.76 million tonnes (in raw fish weight equivalent).
As in the previous survey in 2019, we surveyed fish species, catch areas, country of origin, weight (in raw fish equivalent), as well as fishing methods and equipment used. Furthermore, analysis of the survey data was outsourced to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) (Note) to ensure that the results were independently verified.

(Note) Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP): USA-registered NGO that promotes the sustainable production of seafood throughout the supply chain.

Click here to see detailed results of the third survey of procured marine resources sustainability

Methodology and Results of the Survey

(Note 1) FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(Note 2) FishSource: An international resource assessment database established by the SFP in 2007. The database was developed based on information on fishery resources from administrative agencies in various countries.
(Note 3) ODP: Online reporting platform for voluntary disclosure of seafood sourcing established by the SFP in 2015.

Country of origin of procured natural and processed marine products in 2022

The survey results show that the Nissui Group's procurement regions and volumes are as shown in the figure above, with Japan being the largest, followed by North America and South America.

Procured volume by fish species category (by FAO-ISSCAAP classification)

The largest volume in terms of fish species handled was comprised of white fish such as cod, alaska pollack and hake, followed by herring and sardines, which are used as raw materials for fishmeal and fish oil, and pelagic fish such as mackerel, horse mackerel and yellowtail.

Assessment Results of the State of Resources Management

Survey results were sent to an external, third-party organization SFP(Sustainable Fisheries Partnership) to assess the state of resources. FishSource, an international resource assessment database managed by the same organization (see note below), assigns a score out of 10 for each of the following five score categories, which include the state of the resource and the fishery management system, and based on these scores, the state of resource management was evaluated on a four-stage scale according to the method specified by the Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP).

(Note) FishSource: An international resource assessment database developed based on fishery resource information from administrative agencies in various countries.

●FishSource Scores

Score 1: Management Strategy
Score 2: Managers' Compliance
Score 3: Fishers' Compliance
Score 4: Current Health
Score 5: Future Health

Resource management status of marine resources handled by Nissui Group in 2022

ODP Analysis method (by FishSource score 1-5)

• Well Managed
  : all FishSource scores ≥ 8
• Managed
  : all FishSource scores ≥ 6
• Needs Improvement
  : at least one FishSource score < 6
• Profile not yet Complete
  : more than one item has not been scored

The SFP analysis showed that about 75% of the procured items were in a state of being “Well Managed” or “Managed.” Conversely, 8% of resources were shown to be in a status of being “Needs Improvement,” and about 17% was in a state of being “Profile not yet Complete (resources for which scores are missing and cannot be determined).”

Third-party Programs to Promote Sustainable Marine Products Use

The previous (2019) survey of the status of resources found that some of the marine products procured by the Group were endangered species. In response, and based on the Nissui Group Endangered Species (Marine Products) Procurement Policy, the Group is advancing the procurement of fisheries products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and other organizations. As a result, the number of MSC-certified fish species handled by the Group has risen by 17 species, from 55 to 72, constituting a 4% increase in procured volume.

Volume procured from MSC-certified fisheries in 2022

Issues and Countermeasures

Based on the results of the survey, we recognize the following four items among the marine products we handle as issues that need to be addressed with particular priority, and will proceed to discuss measures to address them.

Issues

• Species procured in large volumes from outside parties
  While the Nissui Group has established sustainability in its own fisheries, appropriate responses from outside parties are still lacking for many species.
• Species whose resource status is difficult to determine
  These are fish species “Needs Improvement” or “Profile not yet Complete.”
• Fish species procured in processed form
  Of the above fish species, these are species especially used for fish oils, fishmeal and surimi.
• Response to human-rights risks
  In some cases, progress is being made in determining the status of resources, but response in terms of human-rights risks is required.

Countermeasures

• Prioritize fish species whose resource status is difficult to determine (particularly those used to make fishmeal, fish oils and surimi), through measures such as participation in round-table discussions and FIPs.
• Work to identify the resources used in products for which catch information is hard to obtain, for example by working with suppliers to establish traceability.
• Examine methods of evaluation for use in determining human-rights violation risk for procured resources.

Click here to see detailed results of the First Survey

Click here to see detailed results of the Second Survey

Nissui Group Endangered Species (Marine Products) Procurement Policy

The Nissui Group is committed to complying with treaties and laws related to biodiversity and to contributing to the realization of a society that is in harmony with nature. For marine resources at high risk of depletion, procurement will be suspended if scientific and practical measures are not taken to recover the resources by 2030.

Scientific and practical measures for resource recovery

1. 1.Fishery products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or other certification bodies (equivalent to Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) certification), or Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) (Note 1) products.
2. 2.Scientific fishery management by international resource management organizations such as Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
3. 3.Rated “Managed" or above based on criteria established by the ODP (Note 2).
4. 4.Any other specific measures being taken to achieve 1-3 above.

(Note 1) FIP: Fishery improvement project, in which fishermen, companies, distributors, NGOs, and other stakeholders work together to improve the sustainability of fisheries.
(Note 2) ODP: Ocean Disclosure Project. Online reporting platform for voluntary disclosure of seafood sourcing established by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) in 2015.

Endangered Species Based on 2022 Classification and Nissui Group Response Measures

Participation in Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients

Since 2022, Nissui has been participating in the Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients, an initiative working to promote sustainable marine products. This was one response to the second Survey of Procured Marine Resources Sustainability (2019), in which there were fish species identified as “Not Scored," where the status of the resource was difficult to assess, or “Needs Improvement,” where the status of the resource needs to be improved. Through the activities of this roundtable, we will continue to consider concrete actions.

Participation in External Initiatives​

By participating in the “Pacific Bluefin Tuna Conservation Pledge” by WWF Japan, Nissui makes its intention clear to promote further global agreement in regard to the management of Pacific Bluefin Tuna resources together with other Japanese companies supporting this cause.

Please find details at WWF Japan HP

Acquisition of RFVS Certification

Australian Longline Pty Ltd. (Australia), which is one of the Nissui Group companies outside of Japan, is primarily engaged in Patagonian toothfish fishing in the Antarctic Ocean (subject to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification).
In January 2021, Antarctic Discovery—a vessel owned by Australian Longline—became the world's first to acquire the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) certification. RFVS is a fishing vessel-based certification program and is operated on a global scale by non-profit organization Global Seafood Alliance (GSA). Audits are conducted with respect to the safety and well-being of employees working on board the vessel from the viewpoint of human rights, in addition to fishing vessel management and catch traceability. Having acquired RFVS certification, Australian Longline has demonstrated to the general public that it abides by high standards in terms of welfare and safety for crew members on board its vessel and is not involved in illegal practices such as slave labor and poor living conditions. Australian longline acquired the RFVS certification for their new vessel Antarctic Aurora as well, in February 2021.

Recommendation of RFVS Certification

Flatfish Ltd. (UK), which is also one of the Nissui Group companies outside of Japan, contributed to RFVS as a member of the Technical Working Group of RFVS by such means as serving as a peer reviewer of RFVS in 2019 and 2020. Flatfish, which had been in favor of this certification scheme not only since the beginning at the time of its launch in 2006 but also upon its subsequent resumption in 2016, provided ongoing support toward its realization. Also, Flatfish believes that RFVS—which consists of two core principles, namely, “vessel management & safety systems” and “crew rights, safety and wellbeing”—is an extremely important standard for the welfare of fishing boat crew and recommends the adoption of RFVS certification across its entire supply chain.

Gorton’s has been forming partnership with New England Aquarium (NEAq), Boston MA. USA, to preserve marine environment and secure sustainable marine resources. The partnership started in 2008 when Gorton’s asked evaluation of its seafood products from scientific and sustainable points of view and marked its 15th year in December 2023.

Along with Monterey Aquarium, NEAq has global knowledge of marine resource research and provides scientific and meaningful advice and support including movement of fishery, aquaculture, fish feed and breeding in the conduct of making efforts to promote sustainable fishery.
In addition, Gorton’s itself developed Sustainability Action Plan, and has been promoting the plan by exchanging opinion with NEAq and implementing progress management by setting KPI.

Based on the strong trust with NEAq until now, Gorton’s, a member of the Nissui Group, will make efforts toward sustainable usage of resources and preservation of the environment in a positive manner.

In order to enhance the sustainable use of marine resources, innovations will also need to be made to the methods of fishing. The problems of fishing methods that destroy the marine environment and bycatch, i.e. the incidental capture of non-target species have been raising concern, and the development of fishing methods that cause the minimum amount of damage to living organisms and the environment has become imperative, for the sake of preventing the marine ecosystem from deteriorating.

The Sealord Group, Ltd. (New Zealand), the Nissui Group company, in partnership with major domestic fisheries companies, Aotearoa Fisheries, Ltd. and Sanford, Ltd. and the research institute, Plant & Food Research, Ltd. which studies sustainable agriculture and fisheries business, has successfully developed the PSH (Precision Seafood Harvesting) fishing method, which reduces bycatch and allows the targeted fish to be caught alive.

The PSH method uses fishing equipment made of flexible PVC which inflates into a tube shape once seawater flows in, allowing fish to be landed live and still swimming, while undersized or smaller species escape through specifically sized holes along the length of the fishing equipment.

Scientific tests have shown that snapper harvested with the PSH system have a 100% chance of survival if they are fished from a depth of 0 to 20 meters. While the survival rates tend to decline with increasing depth, tests have proven that fish caught with the PSH system have better survival rates than those caught using other conventional fishing methods.
Hence, it is believed that the PSH system will be an effective method for studying deep sea organisms and catching fish in the deep depths of the ocean.

The four companies, mentioned above, through repeated trial and error including investigative research over the approximately ten years from the project’s launch in 2005, were finally able to commercialize (practical application) the PSH fishing method in 2016. The Sealord Group, Ltd. is currently expanding the use of the PSH fishing method and making efforts to contribute to the spread of sustainable fishery.