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
Born and raised in the Pacific island nation of Fiji, Thomson has been a vocal proponent of ocean conservation efforts during his career as a diplomat, as he has been unable to bear to see the health of the oceans continue to deteriorate. Following on from the first part, which describes the background to his career, we spoke to him about his specific measures and plans for marine environmental conservation, his activities over the past few years, and his message to the fishing industry. (<Part 1Read more
--At the 2021 Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit, the Ambassador delivered the message that "healthy oceans are essential for a healthy planet" and called for three actions to achieve this.IUU (illegal, unregulated, unreported) fishingThe elimination of EPA, the end of harmful fishing subsidies, and the establishment of marine protected areas. How do you view the progress made in the four years since then?
We are only halfway there. IUU fishing continues to occur on a disastrous scale around the world. However, the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has*1has been enacted, so it can be said that there has been substantial progress in that regard.
On the other hand, the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, which was discussed at the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO),*2has not yet reached its target. This is a bit complicated, and it has two major parts. The first part is the prohibition of IUU fishing, or subsidies that encourage illegal fishing, which was agreed upon several years ago. However, the number of countries that have ratified it has not reached the required number, and it has not yet been implemented. However, the good news is that we are getting quite close to the target number.
The ratification process requires two-thirds of the WTO's member states, or 3 countries. At last count, 2 countries have already adopted the treaty, so 111 more countries are needed to put the agreement into practice and ban fishing subsidies that support IUU fishing.*3I hope we can achieve this by then.
Another part of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement is to prohibit subsidies to organized fishing fleets with over-capacity, which leads to overfishing.*4It is insane to subsidize companies that use large fishing fleets to chase dwindling stocks of fish. This support needs to be stopped once and for all.
I want to emphasize that banning support for this type of fishing will also help local small-scale fishers. Currently, large fishing fleets are catching all the fish that would have been caught by small-scale coastal fishers. Support for this type of overfishing must be banned as soon as possible.
--So, what about the third initiative, marine protected areas?
As you know, the international community has agreed to the "30by30" goal, which means protecting at least 30% of the Earth's total land area by 2030.*1 However, when it comes to the oceans, this cannot be achieved without a concrete plan, something that was keenly felt at COP16 (the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) held in Cali, Colombia last year.
The current situation is far from the goal of "30by30" to protect 30% of the ocean surface. Therefore, as a founding co-chair of Friends of Ocean Action (FOA), I issued a statement to promote this goal at COP16 in Cali, and declared that we would compile a concrete plan to guide countries and organizations toward 30by30, and announce and put it into action at the upcoming 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
Why is this important? The Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework adopted in December 2022*2 As the world's leading scientists have made clear, if we fail to protect 2030% of the Earth's surface by 30, we will face an avalanche of species extinctions, a steady loss of Earth's biodiversity.
This is something that must be avoided, not only for the sake of humanity, but for the sake of all life on Earth. Even if we are not yet able to achieve 2030% protected areas by 30, it is important that we continue to move towards that goal.
--I understand that this is an urgent situation. From your perspective as a Special Envoy for the Oceans, would you say that the most pressing issue regarding the oceans is 30by30?
Personally, I think that the most urgent thing we need to do is to take measures against global warming. As a result of global warming, the sea temperature is rising at an incredible speed, coral is dying, and the sea level is rising. The ocean environment is completely changing because of global warming.
Global protected areas (green on land, blue in ocean) and areas under other conservation measures (yellow) as of August 2024. According to the Protected Planet Report published in October 8 by the United Nations Environment Programme's World Flora and Fauna Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 2024% of land and inland waters and 10% of oceans and coasts are protected. As for the oceans, more than 17.6% are international waters that do not belong to any particular country, making them difficult to protect due to complex laws and conflicts of interest. The figure is from the UNEP-WCMC Protected Planet Report 8.4, and the full report is available atclick here）--Ocean-related issues are complex and huge, with many interrelated factors. What advice would you give to readers who are leaders trying to bring about change in the fishing industry?
What I would like to say to all manufacturers, not just those in the fishing industry, is to prioritize sustainability and resilience above all else, and to plan and execute for the future, making decisions and taking action based on scientific planning and operational management.
This of course also applies to the fishing sector, where scientific assessment of fish stocks is crucial, and it is encouraging to see this thinking beginning to take hold in key parts of the world.
Three months ago, the Solomon Islands government, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), and FFA (Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency)*The Honiara Summit was held in the capital of Solomon Islands, supported by the FFA and other co-organizers. Through the efforts of regional management organizations such as the FFA, over the past half century, 6% of the world's tuna resources have been sustainably managed based on clear scientific assessments.
I would like to strongly encourage the fishing industry in particular to "put sustainability above all else." Sustainability is more important than short-term profits. If we prioritize profits today and there are no fish left in 10 years, doesn't that make sense?
Another thing to consider about fisheries is aquaculture. Sustainable aquaculture will continue to grow as an area that will support the future of the fishing industry. While catches of wild fish have been on the rise for a long time, farmed fish have been growing at a rapid clip.
Aquaculture must also place emphasis on sustainability, that is, on being carried out in a way that does not damage the environment. The reality is that an industry that continues to cause further environmental destruction has no future.
There is one more thing I would like to mention in relation to the fishing industry. I know from my own experience that the Japanese excel at using every last bit of fish they catch without any waste, but I was also impressed by the local cod fishing I saw when I visited Iceland last year. Every part of the fish they caught was utilized, to the fullest.
Not only the flesh, but also the innards and skin are not thrown away. Every part is used in a variety of ways, from food, medicine, and clothing to treatment for severe burns, and the whole fish is put to good use, from head to tail. This is also an important thing that we must not forget. Not to waste even a single bit of what we get from the sea. This also leads to increased profits for the fishing industry.
--Thank you. Now, my last question. At last year's Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit, we set a goal of making sustainable seafood mainstream by 2030. What do you think is the most important thing to do to make it mainstream? Please let us know your opinion.
The first is the aquaculture I just mentioned. Aquaculture, if carried out properly, has the potential to become a major pillar supporting the future of the fishing industry.
And I would like to emphasize again that scientific management of fisheries resources is essential. We must put a stop to overfishing and prohibit any system that encourages it.
And we must combine these various factors logically. We must prioritize the preservation of the sustainability of marine resources over immediate competition and short-term profits. This is also what the whole world agreed to when it adopted Goal 14 of the SDGs. That is, to conserve the oceans and use their resources only in a sustainable way.
From a broader perspective, I would like to emphasize that fisheries is indeed a major topic of interest right now among member states of the United Nations.
Ten ocean action panels are planned for the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June. The themes were chosen by Member States, but two of the ten directly relate to fisheries: one on sustainable fishing and one on securing a marine-based food future.*
The fact that two out of ten panels directly addressed fishing shows how much governments attach importance to this sector, and I am confident that concrete and stronger measures towards a more sustainable fishing industry will emerge from this June meeting.
--This seems like it could be one way to make sustainable seafood mainstream.
I have no doubt that this will happen, and I look forward to seeing you there in Nice, where we can work together to make a difference.
The other eight topics include: conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, support for regional cooperation, reduction of marine pollution, linking ocean, climate and biodiversity, improving sustainable and inclusive marine and coastal economic activities, collaboration between science and government to promote scientific cooperation and sharing to improve ocean health, conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources under international law based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and financial participation in actions to support SDG 8.click here
Peter Thomson
He served as Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2010 to 2016, during which time he chaired the Executive Boards 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. In 2013, he led Fiji's diplomatic mission during the country's presidency of the G77 plus China. He was elected President of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) General Assembly in 2011 and 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 the Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
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.
