From auctioneer to MSC, spreading marine education through "Fish Elementary School" (Part 1)

Representative Director, Japan Sustainable Seafood Association
Principal of Fish Elementary School
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
Makoto Suzuki

"Fish Elementary School" is an online educational program that teaches about Japan's connection to the seas surrounding it. Each month, it focuses on a different type of fish or shellfish, using real fish and models to explain and teach a wide range of topics, from the ecology of marine life and environmental issues to fishing and food culture, in an enjoyable way. Although the program is called "Elementary School," parents can also participate in the lessons, creating a space where adults and children can think about the sea and fish together.

The founder of this Fish Elementary School is Makoto Suzuki, the representative director of the Japan Sustainable Seafood Association. While a student at Kyoto University, he decided to become a fisherman's apprentice, and after graduating, he became an auctioneer at a seafood wholesale company in Tsukiji Market. After working at the Japan office of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), he became independent and established the Japan Fisheries Certification Support and the Japan Sustainable Seafood Association, and has been carrying out his own unique activities.

In the first part of this interview, we will ask about the events that led to his unique career path and his journey so far.

Makoto Suzuki
Born in Tokyo in 1980. While studying at Kyoto University's Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, he experienced life as a fisherman's apprentice. After graduating, he worked for eight years as an auctioneer at the Tsukiji Market for a seafood wholesale company. While studying at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, he joined the Japan office of the non-profit organization MSC, where he dedicated himself to promoting the certification program and the eco-label for the sea. He later became independent, establishing "Japan Fisheries Certification Support" in 2019 and the "Japan Sustainable Seafood Association" in 2021. As part of his activities to connect fishermen and consumers, he is currently running "Fish Elementary School," an online class for children. From 2025, he will be a specially appointed assistant professor at the Fisheries Sustainability Endowed Chair at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

It all started when I picked up a copy of "National Geographic" at a used bookstore. It led me into the unknown world of marine environments.

—I understand that you've been interested in food issues since you were a teenager. What was theきっかけ (trigger/reason) for that?

It all started when I had an agricultural practical training experience in my first year of high school. I visited an organic farm in Ibaraki Prefecture and stayed there for about 10 days. During that time, I was given the opportunity to slaughter one of the chickens they were raising all by myself. It was a powerful experience for me, and for the first time, I truly felt that the food I ate every day was the result of taking a life.

I visited that farm many times during my third year of high school, helping with rice planting and harvesting. It was during that time that I began to think that I wanted to work in agriculture or food-related fields in the future. I also began to wonder what would happen to food issues as the world's population increases, and I wanted to think about the global environment through the lens of food. There was a time when I said I wanted to become a journalist who dealt with such themes.

—So, your interest in food issues began with agriculture. What led you to shift your interest to the ocean after that?

One evening during my university days, I happened to watch a movie on television called "White Squall," which was set on the sea, and I was deeply moved by the beauty and harshness of the ocean. The next day, as if guided by fate, I visited a used bookstore and picked up the November 1995 issue of the Japanese edition of National Geographic, which featured an article titled "The World's Fisheries Are in Danger."[2] This was fateful for me, as I learned that there were various problems not only in agriculture but also in the world of the sea.

That was in 1999, and at that time, no one in Japan was speaking out about overfishing and other marine issues. Also, while the ocean was a new world to me, it was still a largely unknown realm for humanity. That's why I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to addressing issues related to the ocean and fish. Perhaps there was also a sense of curiosity, a desire to see a world no one had ever seen before.

Studying at Kyoto University while working in the fishing industry!

—I heard you had an experience as a fisherman's apprentice while you were a university student.

First, I wanted to ride on a fishing boat, but back then there was no social media, so I didn't have many opportunities to connect with fishermen. After doing some research, I found out that a primary industry job fair was being held in Mie Prefecture, and I tried to apply to participate in a free 2-night, 3-day fishing experience. However, as I was just a student and not a job seeker, I wasn't allowed to participate. Nevertheless, they told me, "If you pay for it yourself, we'll let you ride anytime," so I went to Kumano City in Mie Prefecture to experience fixed net fishing. That was when I was a sophomore in college, and three years later I became a fisherman's apprentice.

During my university years, I went to Kumano City, Mie Prefecture, to train as a fisherman.

—Did your perception of the sea change after experiencing the work of a fisherman?

Before my first trip on a fishing boat, I had only ever seen fish sold as products in supermarkets and fish markets, so the sight of live fish being pulled in from the boat was very impressive. I was also surprised by the variety of fish that were landed at once, and there were many fish I had never seen before. The miso soup made with fish that were prepared on board was delicious, and overall it was a lot of fun. On the other hand, the fishermen were calculating their earnings for the day while looking at the fish, and I realized that even when faced with the same thing, people see things from different perspectives.

Eventually, I started living on the land, receiving a daily wage to pay rent, and began to interact with my neighbors, giving them fish in exchange for vegetables. However, the village, which once had around 1,500 inhabitants, has now dwindled to about 300, with most residents being over 70, and the elementary school has been closed. I also heard stories of the terraced rice paddies becoming wasteland, with deer, wild boars, and monkeys ravaging the fields, and I was shocked to realize that the fish I eat every day are supplied from such a fragile foundation.

I was surprised to realize that if things continued this way, there would be no one left to catch fish, and that I, as a consumer, knew so little about the production process. I also realized that the current situation of producers is completely lost to the public during the distribution process. At the time, there weren't many books written about fish distribution, and fishermen had no way of knowing who was eating the fish they caught. So I thought about going to graduate school to study distribution, but I decided that I would get a better feel for it if I got a job at a market company and got involved in the buying and selling of fish firsthand. With that in mind, I took the plunge and got a job at a seafood wholesale company in Tsukiji.

I went to Tsukiji Market to learn about the realities of the seafood distribution industry.

—You went from being a researcher to working for a seafood wholesale company in Tsukiji. That must have been a big decision. How long were you at the Tsukiji market?

It was eight years. I was assigned to the "Kansai Section of the Fresh Fish Department," which handles fish from western Japan. For the first year, I wasn't allowed to sell fish, so I did menial tasks like preparing ice water for my seniors and counting boxes. From my second year, I gradually started selling various kinds of fish, such as flying fish, hairtail, and Spanish mackerel. Instead of selling the star fish of the market like bonito, horse mackerel, mackerel, and sardines, I worked selling small amounts of various fish, and even sold some unusual ones like sunfish and chimaera. As the variety and quantity of fish I handled increased, I gained customers, built relationships with suppliers, and expanded the scope of my business.

He worked for a wholesale company at Tsukiji Market and increased sales.

I started handling sea bass in my third year. Buying and selling sea bass, a high-quality white fish sold in restaurants and supermarkets, was very interesting, and I worked hard to sell it, and in my fifth year I became the top seller at Tsukiji Market. At that point, I began to feel like I was influencing the sea bass market price all over the country.

However, I also felt that the market was doing something bad to the resources, as they were selling spawning sea bass and small sea bass (juvenile sea bass) cheaply. Everyone says good things like, "This fish is fatty," to sell it, but they don't tell you about the harsh realities I witnessed as a fisherman's apprentice because it would hurt sales. I felt that this is why important information is not being conveyed in the distribution chain.

Even while I was working at the market, the types of fish being caught changed, and the fish population declined. This made me want to reconsider the role of the market and fisheries resource management, so I decided to go to graduate school at the University of Tokyo. At that time, I also quit my job, and later, through a fortunate connection, I joined the MSC Japan office.

While attending Kyoto University, Mr. Suzuki became a fisherman's apprentice, and after graduating, he rose to become the top auctioneer at Tsukiji Market. From there, he quit his job as an auctioneer to approach marine issues from a different perspective and joined MSC.Second partNow, we'd like to hear about your work at MSC, your activities after becoming independent, and the content of your lessons at Osakana Elementary School.

Interviewed and written by: Shino Kawasaki

After working at a design firm planning and editing corporate advertisements, she became a freelance writer, copywriter, and food coordinator in 2016. She writes in a variety of fields, including lifestyle, food and drink, and medicine.