Traceability and Human Rights: Some Insights and Ways Forward for Japan’s Seafood Supply Chains
IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing
Marine Trust
CEO Francisco Aldon
Francisco Aldon is the CEO of the company that runs Marine Trust Certification.Part 1We asked about the strategic importance of marine ingredients in aquaculture feed and the role that Marine Trust certification plays.
In Part 2, we will look into the strategy of Marine Trust, which has grown to cover 48% of the world's marine raw material production in just 10 years. The key to their success lies in Peru, the world's largest producer. And now, expectations are rising for the Japanese market. They will talk about their organizational management philosophy, which covers 37 countries with a team of just nine people, and their feelings for their home country of Peru.
--In the roughly 10 years since 2014, 48% of the world's marine raw material production has been Marine Trust certified. Was it successful from the start when spreading Marine Trust certification globally?
Yes, it worked right from the start. Do you know why?
"Because the world's major producers wanted it certified. First, I went to Peru. Peru produces up to 20 percent of the world's fishmeal and fish oil. It's the largest producer in this field in the world. They have a great anchovy fishery, with two fishing seasons a year. About 1.6 to 2.5 million tons of anchovies are caught in each season to produce fishmeal and fish oil."
In addition to Peru, we started in the United States, Denmark, and Iceland. Just those three countries achieved 23% in the first year. The following year, the UK, Chile, and Norway joined, bringing the percentage to 38%. Then, Thailand, Morocco, Ecuador, and other countries joined, bringing the percentage to 48%. The key is Peruvian anchovies.
-Was it difficult to convince Peruvian producers to obtain Marine Trust certification?
No, it's the opposite. They wanted it. To prove they were sourcing responsibly, to prove they were doing the right thing. And now, thanks to other certification standards that recognize Marine Trust, such as BAP, GLOBAL GAP, and the ASC Feed Standard, more fishmeal factories are joining. I'm not saying, "You have to get Marine Trust certified." It's the feed manufacturers themselves who are asking their suppliers to be Marine Trust certified when they source marine ingredients.
--We eat a lot of fish, but currently, about 80% of Japan's fish is wild-caught, with aquaculture accounting for around 20%.
However, aquaculture is on the rise in global production, now exceeding fisheries at 51% (* 3).
--That's right. There are currently no fishmeal producers in Japan that have obtained Marine Trust certification, so what is your plan for entering the Japanese marine ingredients industry in the future?
To achieve Marine Trust certification, the first element that needs to be assessed is the fishery. Japan's fisheries only went through a fishery assessment process about five years ago.
However, Japanese fish meal factories face challenges such as the language barrier, and work methods are different. Records of the types and quantities of fish used are not kept as thoroughly as in Europe and the United States. Japanese fish meal factories are still in the preparation stage toward obtaining certification.
--And this year,International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) Annual Conferenceis being held in Tokyo for the first time. What are your expectations for this conference?(*4)
What we hope is that IFFO members will understand the situation in Japan, because IFFO would like to welcome Japanese members. Currently, Japanese companies such as Nissui, Mitsui & Co., and Kanematsu are IFFO members. These are large global companies that also deal in feed, but IFFO hopes to welcome more Japanese companies, especially fishmeal producers, as members.
That's a good opportunity for both parties.
That's right. It's an opportunity for Japanese fishmeal factories to understand the global situation and what the world is demanding.
Francisco Aldon spoke at the IFFO Annual Conference, held in Tokyo for the first time in November 2025.-How many people work at Marine Trust?
There are 9 of us.
--9 people and 37 countries! What's the secret to organizing so much globally with such a small team?
Systems. Building systems within your company. You need to have procedures and guidance in place so people can do what they need to do. Systems don't just mean having machines. It means people knowing their roles, knowing what they need to do, and being accountable.
They all know what they need to do, they all know what everyone else is doing, they all understand where their roles fit in and they all work well together, and that's the way the Marine Trust is.
-As a CEO, what kind of people do you look for in your team?
Someone who is resourceful. I don't want someone who always comes to me and asks, "What should I do? What is this?" If there's a problem, they find a solution, come to me with maybe two solutions, and we discuss which one to adopt. You decide on the solution. Someone who is resourceful, proactive, and fits in with the team. That's very important.
――Your first participation in TSSS 2024 last year was Seafood Legacy's 10th TSSS. The event set a goal of making sustainable seafood mainstream by 2030. What do you think is needed to achieve this goal?
It is important to manage the expectations of different parties in the value chain and share a clear path forward. For example, the pet food industry wants to be able to trace the origin of fish oil back to every fishing vessel. This is an important goal, but it is difficult to achieve all at once.
The important thing is to set clear goals and a path forward, and to make steady progress in small steps. We believe that the key to achieving the 2030 goal is for all parties involved to move forward in stages, facing in the same direction, with the attitude that "it may be difficult right now, but let's work together to make it a reality in the future."
INTERVIEWER In order to mainstream sustainable seafood, we must overcome issues such as IUU fishing. How can we overcome these challenges?
Marine Trust certification is an environmental standard, but at fishmeal factories it also covers social aspects, including human rights, and checks grievance mechanisms, the legal status of workers, etc. We have also begun to address social aspects at the fishing vessel level, but it is true that if there are too many demands, it will be difficult to achieve.
While striking this balance, we have adopted a policy of starting with what is currently possible and realistic, and gradually strengthening our standards. For example, Marine Trust Certification is constantly revising its standards and strengthening their elements. Major revisions, such as moving from Version 2 to Version 3, are carried out every five years. It is important to continue evolving our standards while adapting to changes in the environment and new issues. This is "change for adaptation," and it is a necessary process to keep the standards alive.
-Do you have the opportunity to go to Peru for work?
We go there every year. Peru is a very important market for us, not just Peru, but Chile, Ecuador, and the whole of South America. My brothers and father live there, and I have friends there. I live abroad, and as a Marine Trust member, I'm a global citizen. But as a Peruvian, I maintain good relations with my compatriots, because Peru is a major producer of marine raw materials.
--You also value your identity as a Peruvian.
Peru has three regions: the coast, the Andes, and the jungle. So there's good fish, 4,000 varieties of potatoes, and 70 varieties of corn. Potatoes spread from Peru to the rest of the world. And each region has 30 different dishes.
Peru is an amazing place. When I returned to Peru for my first job, I built professional relationships that have carried me to this day. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to visit my home country in this way. I made it happen. I grew up near the sea in Peru, love fish, and want to protect them. But I also want to continue eating them. That's where I started. I'll carry that feeling with me so that fish will continue to exist for people in the future.
View of the Pacific Ocean from the port city of Callao, Peru's ocean gateway.
Francisco Aldon
With over 15 years of experience in the marine ingredients sector, Mr. Ito has been CEO of Marine Trust since 2020. As a researcher at IFFO (Marine Ingredients Organisation), he was involved in the early development of IFFO RS (now Marine Trust), where he was responsible for the organization's management and scientific affairs. As an expert on responsible sourcing, sustainable production practices and digital traceability in the marine ingredient supply chain, he serves on the supervisory board of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and the steering committee of the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative (GSSI). He holds a degree in Fisheries Engineering from La Molina National Agrarian University in Peru and a Master's degree in Marine Ecology and Environmental Management from Queen Mary University of London.
◾️TSSS2025 Session "Pioneering the Future of Aquaculture through Responsible Aquaculture Feed Sourcing" Archived Video Here
Interviewed and written by: Chiho Iuchi
He writes articles mainly about science, technology, and culture in both Japanese and English. After working for the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (now the Japan Finance Corporation) and the English-language newspaper The Japan Times, he has been freelance since 2016. In 2024, he completed a Master's program 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.
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