Tokyo, Japan – Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. and Nikkei ESG jointly held the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Symposium 2020 (TSSS2020) online from November 4 to 6 and 9 to 11, 2020. The event was co-hosted by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. The theme of this year’s event was “Sustainable Seafood and the Blue Economy in the New Normal.” A total of 108 expert speakers from Japan and abroad took part, and the video content has been viewed over 10,500 times by over 3,800 participants from 57 countries and regions.
The seminar content of this symposium is available on demand in both Japanese and English and can be accessed along with the program and speaker information from the official website:
https://sustainableseafoodnow.com/2020/en/.
Over a six-day period, participants shared information on the domestic and international responses to the increasingly urgent concerns regarding IUU fishing due to the COVID-19 situation, as well as the current progress of upcoming traceability systems and future challenges. The speakers also discussed corporate initiatives aimed at improving their procurement practices, tackling the marine plastic problem, attempts to manage resources using cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and IoT, collaboration projects between retailers and NGOs, and ESG investment matters.
DAY 2: Japan and the EU marine strategies DAY 3: Technologies and DX (live session)
In addition, the Fisheries Agency explained the “Draft Law on the Appropriate Domestic Distribution of Specified Aquatic Plants and Animals,” which includes elements of import control rules and the catch certification scheme aiming to combat IUU fishing and to rationalize the seafood distribution. “The revised Fishery Law will be implemented from December of this year. It is exciting to see the strong initiatives from the business sector, as well as the government’s major steps forward to create institutional transformation in this critical time,” Wakao Hanaoka, CEO of Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. commented.
The champions of the 2nd Japan Sustainable Seafood Award were also announced at the symposium.
- Collaboration Award Champion: Ocean to Table: Blockchain-based Traceability Project (Kaiko Bussan Co., Ltd.; IBM Japan, Ltd.; IX Knowledge, Inc.; Light House Co., Ltd.)
- Leadership Award Champion: Passing on Delicious Japanese Cuisine and Our Vibrant Seas to Future Generations (Kijima Co., Ltd.)
The organizers also announced a Special Award, which was given to the Usufukuhonten Co., Ltd. for its efforts to achieve the first MSC certification for Atlantic bluefin tuna and to secure a safe and improved work environment for its crew. Please refer to the official webpage for more information on the awards (https://sustainableseafoodnow.com/2020/en/award/).
About Seafood Legacy:
Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. is a social venture based in Tokyo, which provides sustainable seafood consulting and platforming services to Japanese fisheries, businesses, and the government. Seafood is a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, marine economics, and regional communities, and our purpose is to ensure that it remains abundant for future generations. Seafood Legacy also strategically networks seafood businesses and NGOs to foster pre-competitive platforms to solve mutual issues faced by various stakeholders in Japan and around the world.
