Six years of collaboration between the Japan Consumers' Co-op Union and WWF: Behind the Scenes of Indonesia's Certification (Part 2)
2025
As the only staff member of a marine and seabird conservation program in Japan, Suzuki is busy with various activities, reaching out to all sides, including the government, fishermen, distributors, and general consumers.
What Suzuki is looking for now is dialogue and collaboration.
This time, we asked him about overseas examples to look into, his thoughts on his activities, and his outlook for the future. (Part 1 is here）
--What measures are being taken around the world to prevent seabird bycatch?
RFMOs have rules that require observers to board fishing vessels to monitor fishing, but the reality is that the rate of observers on board is quite low due to various reasons, including a limited number of observers.
There are three main measures to prevent seabird bycatch in longline fisheries: RFMO stipulates that all tuna longline vessels operating in areas that overlap with albatross habitats must implement two of the three bycatch measures.
--Could you tell us about these three countermeasures?
The first is the "tori line," a countermeasure devised by Japanese fishermen, which involves towing a rope with a streamer or tape attached to the end of a long pole attached to the stern of a fishing boat. This is a measure to keep seabirds away from the bait and hooks used in fishing.
The second method is the "weighted branchline," which uses weights to make the bait and hook sink faster. This is a measure to sink the bait and hook faster and deeper than the diving areas of seabirds, reducing the chances of seabirds approaching.
The third method is "night fishing," which involves setting fishing gear at night when seabirds are less active.
BirdLife International has a team of experts on bycatch prevention called the Albatross Task Force, which provides training to put these measures into practice. Currently, the team is active in African and South American countries where fishing is thriving in the habitats of albatrosses.
At the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Symposium
INTERVIEWER With these measures in place, what kind of cooperation would you like to see from Japanese fishermen in the future?
What I want from Japanese fishermen now is dialogue. I would like to learn a lot from them and find common ground between us.
Bycatch is also harmful to fishermen. For example, in longline fishing, seabirds may get caught on the hooks that are meant to catch tuna, or the bait may be stolen. We understand this, and we want to protect seabirds.
When I was doing research at Oregon State University, I witnessed a situation where people who want to protect fish and people who want to protect seabirds were polarized, which hindered problem solving. In Japan, I would like to have more dialogue and work together to prevent such polarization.
--What do you expect from distributors in the future?
Distributors work with fishermen on a regular basis and have the power to send messages to consumers, so they are indispensable in working together to solve problems.
I would like distributors to first be aware of the fact that seabird bycatch occurs, and to appreciate fishermen who are taking proper measures to prevent bycatch.
--How should distributors evaluate fishermen?
There are some overseas examples that can serve as references.
This was a "bycatch audit" conducted by Asda, a major British supermarket chain, in collaboration with the fishing NGO SFP (Sustainable Fisheries Partnership). Specifically, Asda first made a list of what fish it sourced from where and by what fishing method. Experts analyzed this list and picked out the high-risk fish. BirdLife was in charge of the seabird bycatch audit.
Based on the recommendations made by experts for improvements to bycatch prevention measures, ASDA is working through dialogue with fishermen whose fishing practices are at high risk of bycatch to reduce bycatch.
In Japan, there are distributors who are taking action against endangered fish species, so if we could create a list of bycatch using a similar process, we could start dialogue like the one in the Asda example.
--It seems likely that Japanese distributors can also take measures.
The Japanese seafood market has a great influence not only domestically but also globally, and there are companies that are expanding globally and importing large amounts of seafood. We believe that it would be very meaningful to get cooperation from such companies.
For example, like Japanese fishing boats, the fishing areas of Taiwanese fishing boats overlap with seabird habitats to a large extent. Japan imports a lot of Taiwanese seafood, so I think the situation will change if Japan works with Taiwan in the market.
Japan's initiative in addressing seabird bycatch issues should serve as a role model for other Asian countries, and in that sense BirdLife is extremely keen to support Japan.
--Please tell us about your future prospects.
For distributors, there are many good examples of countermeasures being implemented overseas, so I would like you to know about them. If you contact me, I can introduce you to them, and then I would like to work together to find a direction for what we could do in Japan.
I want to talk to as many fishermen as possible at the scene. I want to get to know each other and find common ground. If you ask me, I'll go wherever I can.
My current wish is to strengthen ties with everyone involved with Japan's seafood products.
Previously, tuna longline fishermen in Miyagi Prefecture were undergoing MSC certification inspection and were asked to provide information on seabirds. Of course, we cooperated and have continued to stay in touch since then. It was very meaningful that fishermen reached out to us, an NGO, across boundaries.
In this way, I hope that fishermen and distributors will make good use of BirdLife as a support system. I hope that people in all walks of life involved in the fisheries industry will work together and cooperate to move forward.
Yasuko Suzuki
After working as a veterinarian at a Japanese animal hospital, he moved to the United States and completed his training in wildlife medicine at the veterinary schools of Washington State University and the University of Minnesota. He then studied seabirds at the University of California, Davis, and Oregon State University, earning master's and doctoral degrees. He returned to Japan in 2018 and is now affiliated with BirdLife International.
BirdLife International:https://tokyo.birdlife.org
Email: yasuko.suzuki@birdlife.org
Interviewed and written by: Shino Kawasaki
After planning and editing corporate advertisements at a design office, she became a freelance writer/food coordinator in 2016. She writes for a variety of media, including women's magazines published by major publishers, food and beverage magazines and websites, and medical information websites.
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