Six years of collaboration between the Japan Consumers' Co-op Union and WWF: Behind the Scenes of Indonesia's Certification (Part 2)
2025
![[2025 New Year's Discussion] Human rights issues to consider with the ILO: Approaches to supply chains that only companies can take (Part 1)](https://times.seafoodlegacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/EN-_Newyear_1-1024x606.jpg)
The seafood industry is beginning to address human rights issues. With the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) coming into force and human rights due diligence being strengthened in global supply chains, Japanese companies are also being called upon to take concrete action.
In this context, Ryusuke Tanaka*, who serves as a program officer at the International Labor Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that aims to improve working conditions and living standards for workers around the world, and who spoke at the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS) 2023, and Kazuo Hanaoka, CEO of Seafood Legacy, which is working to mainstream sustainable seafood after TSSS2024, discussed the current state and outlook for human rights issues in Japan's seafood industry at the beginning of 2025.
Ryusuke Tanaka
Born in Hyogo Prefecture. Graduated from Keio University. LL.M. from New York University School of Law. After working as a lawyer, assumed his current position in 2016. Currently engaged in activities to promote international labor standards in the context of SDGs and business and human rights. In addition to collaborating with the Japanese government, employer and labor organizations, and civil society, he also serves as a liaison with embassies of various countries. In charge of formulating and implementing projects related to global supply chains. Former member of the Working Group on the Action Plan on Business and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Guidelines for Respecting Human Rights in Supply Chains.
Wakao Hanaoka
He majored in marine environmental studies and marine biology at a university in Florida. After graduating, he worked in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia, and in 2007 he planned, launched and led a sustainable seafood project at the Japan branch of an international environmental NGO. After going independent, he founded Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. in Tokyo in July 2015 and became its CEO. With the purpose of "passing on seafood, which symbolizes the connection between the ocean's nature, society and economy, to future generations in an abundant state (legacy)," he is working to bring about a system shift by connecting various stakeholders, including the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia and the media, in order to make environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood the mainstream of seafood distribution in Asia.
Hanaoka:The year 2024 will be a memorable one as the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS) will mark its 10th anniversary. What was the year like for you, Tanaka-san?
Tanaka:It was a very active year. The government, businesses, and labor unions were all very active.
Hanaoka:What are the developments in the fisheries sector?
Tanaka: There are very few experts in the fisheries sector at the ILO. To be honest, I haven't really focused on the fisheries industry until now, but since last year, I've been approached by major companies and have had more opportunities to hold dialogues and events on sustainability. I feel like I'm gradually catching up by participating in lively discussions.
Hanaoka:I believe that Tanaka's speech at the 2023 TSSS was the catalyst that sparked heated discussion in the seafood industry. The participants listened intently to the talk about human rights violations occurring in the seafood supply chain, but what struck me was that Tanaka pointed out, "This is about your market, so you all have to act, not just listen, otherwise nothing will change." I felt that he was a person with strong convictions who gets others involved.
Tanaka:When I first attended TSSS, I was surprised by its scale. I think it's rare to see such a large event related to human rights and sustainability in other industries. Moreover, government officials and NGO representatives also participated, and the sessions were well-balanced, allowing diverse participants to express their opinions. I found it interesting that the discussions were left open in a good sense, without any conclusions being reached.
When it comes to human rights, it's not something to "study" first. Japanese companies tend to desperately try to keep up with change by acquiring knowledge, but especially in the field of human rights, there are aspects that cannot be seen just by following the words and theories. The term "human rights due diligence" itself is a foreign word and can seem difficult, and people tend to talk about how far they should go.
Just as you yourself have human rights, all the workers involved in your company's business also have human rights. People connected to you in the supply chain are working to make better products. It is important that you feel that any human rights violations that may occur there are of concern to you.
Hanaoka:Could you please briefly explain again what kind of organization the ILO is?
Tanaka:The ILO is the United Nations' specialized agency on labor. Founded together with the League of Nations in 1919, it is the oldest specialized agency in the United Nations family. It sets standards such as conventions and recommendations known as international labor standards.
I was originally a lawyer, but I joined the ILO because I wanted to see how international labor standards are realized. I think the ILO's current defining feature is that it not only sets standards, but also provides a wide range of support in the form of development cooperation, such as promoting the ratification of treaties, improving the supervisory capabilities of government officials, and establishing labor-related systems and legal policies.
This movement has been around in Japan for several years, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs providing funding, including in the context of business support. Recently, however, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has begun providing support for supply chains, including the agriculture and fisheries industries, with a focus on business and human rights.
Hanaoka:Japan is one of the ILO Conventions"Work in the Fisheries Sector Convention" (No. 188; hereafter, "Work in the Fisheries Convention")What are your thoughts on this?
Tanaka:Ratification is a declaration of intent that a nation agrees with the spirit of the treaty and will abide by it. Even if the current situation is bad, it gives various stakeholders an incentive to improve it, and marks the start of nation-led improvement.
An interesting feature of ILO conventions is that they intentionally lower the bar when they are adopted, to allow as many countries as possible to join, given that each of the 187 member states has a different legal system and political stance.
Hanaoka:Really.
Tanaka:Yes. Japanese laws go through the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, so even the wording is carefully checked for consistency with other laws, and the definitions are also precise. On the other hand, ILO treaties, while upholding globally applicable principles, sometimes remain abstract concepts, taking into account the fact that there are various countries with different legal systems, and this is something I realized after joining the ILO that they are not perfect and fit the circumstances of all countries.
Hanaoka:Could that be one of the reasons why the Japanese government is reluctant to ratify the treaty?
Tanaka:It's partly a matter of wording, but I think they're concerned about whether there will be any inconsistencies with the domestic legal system. The treaty's wording is abstract, which means there is room for interpretation, so the Japanese government's position is that they will ratify the treaty only after they have put in place the necessary laws.
Personally, I would like to see the Fisheries Labor Convention ratified, but whether or not to ratify the convention is a matter of national sovereignty. It also has to do with the state of the country, so we cannot put pressure on them from the outside. Domestic discussion is necessary.
Hanaoka:That is why it is important for us to continue to convey to the Japanese government the need for ratification.
Hanaoka:Seafood Legacy operates on the theory of change, which is to use Japan's market power to improve production sites and their supply chains. How can the Japanese market have a positive impact on overseas production sites and their supply chains, like the EU has had on Thailand?
Tanaka: From the ILO's perspective, governments, workers and employers all need to play their respective roles. However, it is companies that actually import and procure huge amounts of seafood, and the transparency of their purchasing routes is still low.
I think that sales representatives of companies that function as trading companies have the ability to detect the risk of human rights violations, but they tend to prioritize business transactions, and there is a great distance between the departments in charge of sustainability and human rights and the actual workplace. But ultimately, the head of the company has to be able to explain. If a supplier reports human rights violations or human trafficking, the president of the company will be the one to explain.
Recently, letters and other appeals from NGOs have also been rising to the upper echelons of companies, as the company's responses are made public. At that time, it is necessary to be able to clearly explain the current issues and countermeasures, and it is difficult for the sustainability department alone to create the materials. I think it is important for sales people to have a human rights mindset and be sensitive to risks.
Tanaka:Another thing is that Japanese companies seem to have a tendency to make everything perfect before disclosing information.
Hanaoka:That's right!
Tanaka:From the perspective of the person in charge, it may be that they are less likely to make mistakes if they wait until they have confirmed that there are no problems, but when it comes to the world of business and human rights, it's the opposite.
I don't think what the world wants is a glossed-over disclosure of information. Every business is involved in social issues, and there are terrible cases of forced labor and child labor at the end of the supply chain that even the government is not aware of. But if you are a company, you may be able to approach them through transactions. The voice of civil society is that since you have influence there, you want to exercise it. I feel like this is the opposite of the mindset of company representatives who say, "We will disclose information only after it's perfect."
Hanaoka:So it's about changing the mindset that companies have the power to approach and help those in the field who are violating human rights. To do that, I think we need to increase transparency, not hide things.
Hanaoka:Increasing transparency is beneficial for society as a whole and also serves as a risk hedge for companies. I believe it will also lead to increased corporate value.
Tanaka:That's right. Corporate value is usually explained by the top management, but I think it is necessary to consider it separately from legal responsibility. The role that companies play in the fishing industry is now expanding into the field of sustainability. If a company is committed to contributing to the SDGs for a sustainable seafood economy, I think it is necessary to explain that it is making an impact in some way and moving forward.
I believe that establishing a system for explanation that allows information to be provided by the field and for top management to disseminate information is an aspect of social responsibility, so if companies feel that fulfilling their social responsibility is a strength, I think there will be a movement toward greater transparency.
Hanaoka:Up until now, your job was to sell fish cheaply, but now what society wants is changing, and whether or not you can adapt to that will determine your company's survival in the future. Companies that hide human rights risks will be weeded out.
Tanaka:That's right. I think there are bound to be some areas where human rights issues are overlooked, so by being aware of human rights, we can shed light on areas where our company's actions may be contributing to poverty for some people, or conversely, may be able to change their lives for the better. I think this is extremely important.
Interviewed and written by: Chiho Iuchi
After working for the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (now the Japan Finance Corporation) and the English newspaper The Japan Times, he has been freelance since 2016. In 2024, he completed a Master's in Sustainability Studies at the Hosei University Graduate School of Public Policy. He is a director of the Japan Council of Science and Technology Journalists. He mainly writes articles about culture and technology in both English and Japanese.
Photo by Nobuyuki Aoki
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