Why the Shakotan Method is Now Attracting Attention Nationwide: The Successful Cycle of "Region x Environment x Economy" Born from Sea Urchin Fishing (Part 1)
2025
Ambassador Peter Thomson has a strong sense of crisis about the state of our oceans and has consistently promoted policies to restore the health of our oceans since he became Fiji's UN Ambassador in 2010. He currently serves as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Oceans and Oceans, and promotes SDG 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use marine resources. We spoke to the ambassador about the source of his sense of mission for ocean conservation, his awareness of the current situation, and his hopes and messages for the fishing industry.
Peter Thomson
He served as Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2010 to 2016, during which time he chaired the Executive Councils of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). He was President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2016 to 2017, and led Fiji's diplomatic mission during its presidency of the G2013 plus China in 77. He was President of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly in 2011 and was elected Chair of the ISA's Board of Governors in 2015. He is also a founding Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Friends of Ocean Action, and a supporting member of its panel on building a sustainable ocean economy.
--You have demonstrated strong leadership in protecting the world's marine environment, including supporting the formulation of Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and oceans). What was your own background or history that led you to start working on issues related to the ocean?
I was born in Fiji, an island nation in the South Pacific, and from my childhood until my 40s, I probably spent more than half of my days at sea. In the past, my family and I lived in a house on an island in the north of Fiji, and we often traveled together on small boats. At the time, there were not many air routes, and we traveled abroad by boat. The sea has always been familiar to me, and the joy of spending time admiring the whales, dolphins, and fish that appear in the sea, the waves, and the silhouettes of islands remains the same today as it was then.
When I became Fiji's representative at the United Nations in 2010, island nations like Fiji were facing two major problems: climate change and ocean change. Corals were dying and many fish species were disappearing. We were witnessing the ecosystem change caused by rising sea temperatures right before our eyes.
Fiji, as a small island nation, was on the front line, and that is why we had to bring the world's attention to what was happening in the ocean and make a difference. We called on the whole world to pay attention to this situation.
This activity later led to the creation of Goal 14 of the SDGs and the United Nations Ocean Conference.*It was after this that I was appointed Special Envoy for Maritime Affairs.
The Republic of Fiji is a maritime nation located east of Australia and north of New Zealand, consisting of approximately 300 islands and atolls, and is one of the Pacific island nations.--I heard that you were once posted to Japan.
I was posted to Tokyo in 1981 to open the Fiji Embassy. I was the First Secretary and the Ambassador arrived a few months later. I believe the Embassy in Tokyo is still in the same location as it was when it was first established.
--After that, as you worked as a diplomat, was the ocean always on your mind?
That's not quite right. When I was young and just starting out, I worked in rural development in Fiji. I served as a local government officer in places like Tavuni, Navua and Labasa, and as I mentioned, in rural Fiji, the main form of transportation was boats, and the sea was a part of my daily work.
But when I was posted to Japan in the 1980s, my main job was to promote trade, tourism, and investment relations between the two countries, which, I'm happy to say, went very well.
--So, when you started including the ocean in the SDGs and working on initiatives such as the Ocean Conference, did that mean you were returning to your original awareness of the issue?
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that they were unable to bear to see the state of the ocean, which had deteriorated in many ways.
By the time I became an ambassador to the United Nations in 2010, my grandchildren had been born. I wanted to do whatever it took to prevent my grandchildren from living in oceans that were so polluted and devoid of coral reefs that they no longer felt like swimming. The realization of just how much we were losing was a shocking experience, and it was from this that the work of the second half of my life began.
--When you spoke at the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit in 2021, you sent out a strong message about the need for healthy oceans.
Yes, I said that healthy oceans are essential for a healthy planet. And the numbers are clear: the health of our oceans is declining. This is an emergency that requires action, and we must do what we have to do.
--It's been four years since 2021, but have you seen any improvement yet?
The situation is not improving. Ocean temperatures are rising much faster than the scientific predictions made at the time.
And, as I always say, "For a healthy planet, we need healthy oceans," so to expand on that, "For a healthy ocean, we need corals," because 25% of all fish species depend on corals for their survival.
Scientists have predicted that global warming will also affect the oceans. It is said that if ocean temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, almost 100% of the corals that live in warm oceans and form coral reefs will die. Scientists' predictions are now becoming reality, with ocean temperatures rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and approaching 2 degrees Celsius.
A healthy earth requires a healthy ocean. To achieve this, it is essential to protect coral reefs. This is why we must put a stop to global warming.
Although he left the sea once during his career as a diplomat, Thomson felt a strong sense of crisis when he became a UN ambassador and has since consistently promoted activities to protect the marine environment.Part 2Now, I would like to talk specifically about the measures and plans to achieve this goal, as well as our appeal to the fishing industry.
Interviewed and written by: Keiko Ihara
He was in charge of design research and concept studies at a general design office until 2002. Since 2008, he has been involved in design research at infield design, and also works as a freelance writer and translator of design-related articles.
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Key terms and concepts to understand seafood sustainability.
