MSC Certification and Its Implementation for Japan’s Fisheries – Its Role and Issues –

Abstract

　As the fishing industry has a tremendous impact on the marine environment, fisheries management must not only focus on the management of marine resources, but must also aim to be environmentally sustainable. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - which certifies sustainable fisheries - was created to provide a market-based set of incentives for better management of fisheries to achieve sustainable seafood production. This paper summarizes the MSC’s history, objectives and current situation and reviews its past researches. Also, the reasons MSC certification has not been achieved in Japan and future issues to be investigated are discussed.

　Social and cultural factors have a great influence on consumer acceptance and preference for ecolabeled seafood. As Japan is the world’s largest importer of seafood, its consumption practices greatly affect world fisheries, so the characteristics of the Japanese market should be analyzed.

　The reasons Japan has not achieved any certification to date are political in nature or due to the complexity of its fisheries distribution and fisheries cooperative systems. However, as environmental awareness of consumers and industry continues to rise, such barriers may be overcome in the near future. Environmental NGOs will increasingly play a greater role, as dialogue between industry and government is promoted.