"New Meta Coalition" initiative to realize sustainable fisheries in Asia

The decline of fisheries communities due to the decline of marine resources is essential to solving this issue. Legal regulations and market incentives are both essential. However, the Western markets that have supported improvements in Asian production sites are not expected to see significant growth in the future, and access is becoming difficult due to tariff barriers and other factors.

Kazuo Hanaoka, CEO of Seafood Legacy, expressed a sense of crisis, saying, "We have no choice but to urgently create a model that pursues sustainability in Asia's own markets and supports improvements in the fishing industry," and proposed a "new meta-coalition" (a coalition of coalitions) that would bring together platforms operating in Asian countries.

At the final session on the second day of the Sustainable Seafood Summit in Osaka (TSSS2025), held on October 1st and 2nd, 2025, experts from various Asian countries were invited to discuss this new concept from various angles.

Creating a toolkit rooted in the East Asian region

(Songlin Wang, Founder and Chairman of Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS))

Songlin Wang, Founder and Chairman of Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS)

The three East Asian countries of China, Japan and South Korea account for 40-50% of the world's seafood production and are each other's most active trading partners.

All three countries are making progress in fisheries management. Japan has completely revised its Fisheries Act and introduced an import control system comparable to the EU's IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing regulations and the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). South Korea hasTACChina is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of its Fisheries Law, which is expected to strengthen its response to IUU fishing, develop an environmentally friendly aquaculture industry, and improve traceability.

Just as the three governments regularly exchange information and learn from each other, it is time for civil society organizations (CSOs), industry and market players, and the fisheries community to build similar partnerships. We are neighbors, important trading partners, and share many fisheries resources. Now is the time to work together to build a market-based platform in the Asian region.

While utilizing existing international tools from Europe and the United States, such as eco-labels and rating systems, we hope to create a truly meaningful toolkit that is suited to the economic and cultural context of Asia, and to establish an effective mechanism for cooperation.

Data collection and recording systems for effective fisheries management

(Glaudi Perdanaharja, Senior Fisheries Manager, Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation (YKAN))

Mr. Glaudi Perdanaharja, Senior Fisheries Manager, Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation (YKAN)

Indonesia plays a central role in tuna fishing, employing approximately 240 million people in the industry. It is imperative to protect habitats, species, and people.

Over the past decade, we have been tackling one of the barriers to effective fisheries management: a lack of data and information. We developed a crew-operated data recording system (CODRS), where fishermen photograph every catch and spot trackers record the location of the catch and the time the catch occurred. The collected information on fish species, length, and fishing area is used to inform better fisheries policy and management.

Despite the success of CODRS, wider adoption remains a challenge. It requires dedicated personnel, is time-consuming, and can be logistically challenging at times. To address this, we are introducing FishFace, a cutting-edge technology that uses AI to identify fish species and measure their size. However, developing the technology is challenging given the high biodiversity and diverse fish species caught in Indonesia's coastal waters.

While awareness of data collection is increasing, there is a lack of information, such as records of bycatch of sharks and marine mammals. By using electronic monitoring technology to gather information and understand what is happening on deck, we believe that we can improve monitoring, transparency, and safety, while also promoting the sustainability of marine resources and the people involved.

Changes in the Japanese market and expectations for Asian cooperation

(Aiko Yamauchi, Executive Vice President, Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.)

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. Executive Vice President Aiko Yamauchi

According to an analysis conducted by Seafood Legacy based on publicly disclosed information from 30 major Japanese companies, environmental initiatives are progressing slowly, but concrete efforts regarding human rights policies and traceability are lagging behind.

The strength of Japanese companies lies in their deep relationships with their suppliers. Over the past decade, they have experienced projects to improve procurement and production sites, and recently have added human rights due diligence, showing signs of expanding collaboration with Asia through the supply chain.

In Japan, there is strong pressure to deliver on promises, making it difficult for a company to tackle initiatives with no clear end in sight. Furthermore, the complexity of supply chains is similar in China and Indonesia, with differences in business culture and language, as well as a lack of resources, also presenting challenges.

In response to these challenges, we today announced the launch of the Responsible Seafood Sourcing Roundtable, which brings together seven Japanese seafood-related companies. The aim is to find solutions through collaboration between companies to issues that are difficult to resolve through the efforts of individual companies alone.

Additionally, over the past year or two, there have been various collaborative opportunities in Asia, such as the Asia Seafood Expo in Singapore, the Our Ocean Conference in Busan, and Tuna Day in Indonesia, which have created a good momentum for getting to know each other, deepening understanding, and discussing the possibility of cooperation.

[Discussion] Solving issues through an Asian platform

Hanaoka, who served as moderator, presented two themes: "Market transformation in Asia" and "How to strengthen the supply chain through buying power and collaborate to support production sites," and a discussion was held.

Wang cited the example of a joint effort between QMCS and Seafood Legacy to assess risks in the supply chains of squid and eel products. "When we conducted a survey across the East Asia region, we found that even major multinational companies only partially adhered to the principles of the GDST," he said. "Because Japanese buyers are not pushing for improvements, suppliers believe the current practices are sufficient. There is no market incentive," he said, pointing out a demand-side challenge. Hanaoka responded, "In East Asia, where border issues also exist, a strategic approach would be to first encourage markets and companies to take voluntary action before governments create regulations."

Yamauchi mentioned that Japanese buyers are working together with suppliers in China and Indonesia on improvement projects and certification acquisition, and emphasized the value of collaboration, saying, "It's very important to have one team that says, 'Let's work together.' It would be great if we could share the joy of achieving a goal more in this region." Hanaoka also said, "Working together through the process to meet standards is the Asian way. If we cut ties, suppliers who don't have support will end up looking for markets where they can sell even if they don't meet the standards, and this won't be an essential solution to the problem."

Using the example of the Indonesian Tuna Consortium, Perdanaharja emphasized the importance of collaboration among a variety of domestic stakeholders, including scientists, small-scale fishermen, market assessors, and suppliers.However, he pointed out the challenges, saying, "As a producing country, Indonesia is dependent on large Asian markets such as Japan and China, and there is strong downward pressure on prices from these markets. It is not easy to balance impact investment with maintaining the income of fishermen." He added, "We need to improve transparency and traceability by investing in infrastructure such as recording systems and electronic monitoring systems, and promote responsible efforts."

Furthermore, Wang pointed out that a necessary element of the platform would be to address small-scale fishing, suggesting, "Small communities do not have the ability or resources to obtain expensive international eco-label certification, but by establishing a platform, we can identify and support such communities."

A question was raised from the audience about the conflicts of interest that arise when multiple countries share fisheries resources, given that China's catches are overwhelming. Wang responded, "That's a difficult question, but I have high hopes for China's new fisheries law and believe in constructive cooperation from the Chinese government."

Hanaoka said, "A dozen years ago, Japan was criticized by the international community for over-harvesting and over-eating, but that pressure has been balanced with positive domestic forces, and things have changed. It is important to share that experience." He concluded with a positive message, saying, "Of course, these are not problems that Asia can solve alone, and we need to pool our strength from around the world to solve them. However, we cannot continue to see Asia as a region that only has challenges, and we should all take a step forward together."

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