39 years at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Japan's challenges and future prospects as seen from the domestic and international fisheries industry (Part 1)

Japan Fisheries Association
Senior Executive Director
Miwako Takase

Miwako Takase joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1984 and worked for around 30 years on the management of deep-sea fisheries, mainly bonito and tuna fisheries. She subsequently served as director and section chief of the Fisheries Agency's Fisheries Promotion Division, and as deputy director-general of the Resource Management Division, represented Japan at international conferences such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC).

Sustainable Seafood Summit 2025In the first part of this interview, we asked Takase, who will also be speaking at the event, about his work at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the strengths and challenges he has felt in Japan's fisheries industry, and the role it should play in the international community.

Miwako Takase
After graduating from the Faculty of Biological Production at Hiroshima University, she joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1984. In 2017, she became Director of the Fisheries Resources Division of the Fisheries Agency's Fisheries Development Promotion Department, and in 2019, Director of the Research Guidance Division of the same department, before being appointed Deputy Director-General of the Resource Management Department in 2021. She has served as Japan's representative in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), among others. In 2023, she retired from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and became Managing Director of the Japan Fisheries Association, a general incorporated association. She is the first female Managing Director and full-time officer of the Japan Fisheries Association.

He entered the world of fisheries after experiencing firsthand the increasing marine pollution that was occurring during the period of rapid economic growth.

--Mr. Takase, you graduated from the Faculty of Biological Production Science at Hiroshima University. What first sparked your interest in fisheries?

I was born in Ehime Prefecture, but grew up on the Seto Inland Sea coast of Hiroshima City.During the period of rapid economic growth, the Seto Inland Sea industrial region developed, but at the same time, pollution of the sea spread, leading to the closure of local beaches one after another and mass deaths of fish at fish farms.

In 1972, the Stockholm Declaration■The Club of Rome has adopted the "Limits to Growth"■" was published, and there was a growing social anxiety that environmental problems could lead to the extinction of humanity. It was during this time that I became interested in the issue of marine pollution and studied fisheries at university.

*Stockholm Declaration: The "Declaration on the Human Environment" adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972. It was the first declaration on environmental conservation at an international conference, recognizing that environmental issues are a common challenge for all of humanity, and encouraging people around the world to work together to conserve and improve the environment.

*The Limits to Growth: A research report published in 1970 by the Club of Rome, a private think tank based in Switzerland and established in 1972. It warned that if population and economic growth continued at their current rates, the limits of global growth would be reached within 100 years.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries era, which has progressed alongside the history of fisheries resource management in the international community

INTERVIEWER What kind of work did you do at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries?

I have worked in a variety of jobs for over 30 years since joining the ministry, but I was in charge of managing deep-sea fisheries such as bonito and tuna fishing for a long time.■At the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, which I also attended as an official, Sweden proposed that Atlantic tuna be included in the Annex to the Convention, and various negotiations were held between Japan, Sweden, and other parties.

* Washington Convention...Its official name is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The treaty aims to prevent the extinction of species by regulating the international trade of wild fauna and flora.

In 2016, we also participated in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COPXNUMX) held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The proposal was withdrawn at the CITES meeting, but this was an opportunity for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) "Statistical Certification System"■" was created. Catch Certification System■It's like the predecessor ofIUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishingAlthough it did not go so far as to stop the import of fish catches, it was the first attempt by a fisheries management organization to use trade for resource management, and such a system was subsequently adopted by all fisheries management organizations. At the time, I was not yet in a position to participate in negotiations at international conferences, but being involved in the establishment of the statistical certification system was a major turning point for me.

*Statistical Certification System: A system in which fishing countries issue certificates confirming the species of fish and the name of the vessel when exporting, and importing countries collect these certificates, allowing the monitoring of the fishing industry's situation from trade data.

*Catch Verification Scheme: A system to certify that seafood products have been legally caught. Its main purpose is to prevent the distribution of seafood products obtained through IUU fishing.

--After that, you served as head of the Fisheries Resources Division and head of the Research Guidance Division in the Fisheries Promotion Department, and as councilor in the Resource Management Department.

In the Fisheries Resources Division, I was responsible for the investigation and evaluation of Japan's coastal resources and international resources, as well as the investigation and countermeasures for red tides, the protection of rare marine life, bycatch prevention, and marine pollution prevention.

In the Research Guidance Division, I worked with the Fisheries Research Institute to decide on strategies and policies for large-scale research projects spanning several years, as well as promoting cutting-edge technologies such as biotechnology and smart fisheries, and developing technologies for fishing boats and equipment. After that, I became a councilor in the Resource Management Department, where I attended international conferences and negotiated with other countries.

Use the system to show the world that you are doing things right

INTERVIEWER Based on your experience at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, what strengths and challenges do you see in Japan's resource management and efforts to combat IUU fishing?

I think the Japanese way is to tackle problems through cooperative relationships with unions and organizations. Based on a common understanding that what we decide must be abided by, we can enforce rules through mutual monitoring within the community, even without legal penalties. This is one of Japan's strengths.

However, the challenge is that it will take time to get there. On the other hand, national legal systems tend to insist that everything must be perfect, and it seems that rules and systems with even the slightest loopholes are unlikely to be adopted. For this reason, it is frustrating that we cannot stop IUU fishing as quickly as Europe and the United States.

Japan's catch certification system is also precise, but completing and implementing it takes a lot of time, effort, and money. While it should ideally be applicable to all fish species, the current situation seems to be one of hesitation due to the high costs involved.

INTERVIEWER Mr. Takase, you have attended many international conferences. What international role do you think Japan should play in addressing fisheries issues?

ICCATI feel that Japan's contributions to consensus building at international conferences have grown since the introduction of the statistical certification system. As a developed fishing nation, Japan has not tried to impose its own interests but has instead shown a willingness to cooperate in resource management within the international community. I believe this has been understood by other countries. In recent years, Japan has particularly placed importance on scientific evidence, and has made such claims at international conferences. This attitude will likely continue to be expected.

On the other hand, there are many challenges. For example, Japan's overall population is aging, which may make it difficult for the country to adopt new ideas. There is an international movement to strengthen surveillance by utilizing advanced technology, such as installing surveillance cameras on fishing boats instead of observers and transmitting data directly from the vessels, but it seems that Japan is not keeping up.

Fishermen may think, "We're not doing anything wrong, so there's no need for that." However, in the international community of the future, we must show that we are doing things properly. I believe one of Japan's roles is to actively promote what we are doing so that other countries will follow suit.

Throughout my 39 years of work at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesTakase spoke about the strengths and challenges he sees in Japan's fisheries industry, as well as the role it should play in the international community.Part2So, please tell us about your work at the Japan Fisheries Association and the new challenges you have encountered.He will talk about what he thinks is needed to make sustainable seafood mainstream.

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. In addition to appearing in women's magazines published by major publishers, she writes in a variety of fields, including food and beverage, medicine, and housing.