Fish is one of the representative foods of Japan. Once a major fishing power of the world, Japan has seen drastic change over the past several decades in its fish consumption and production, resulting in a changing picture of Japanese fisheries trade. This document summarizes the current status of the Japanese fisheries industry and trade.
| 1. |
Japanese people and fish
Since olden times, fish has been a representative food of Japanese cooking and a major source of animal protein for Japanese people. It is not surprising that Japan has many traditional fish recipes. For example, grilling or stewing fish without cutting off the head and tail is a traditional way of cooking fish in Japan. A fish served entire is called “Okashira-tsuki (literally, with head and tail).” This tradition originates in the old custom of grilling a whole sea-bream for shrine rituals and festive occasions. Another unique fish recipe in Japan is eating fish raw, as in sashimi and sushi. In recent years, the popularity of sushi has spread all over the world and the “Sushi Bar” seems to be quickly becoming an international term.
Meanwhile, fish consumption in Japan has gradually declined over the past few decades, in contrast to the increase in meat consumption. The annual purchase of meat per capita in Japan is currently about the same level as that of fish.
Figure 1 shows these trends.
(Figure 1)
Source: “Annual Report on Family Income and Expenditure Survey,” MIC
(2 or more person households, excluding those practicing agroforestry)
| Notes: 1. |
Fresh fisheries products refer to freshly caught seafood and minimally processed fish products such as frozen, cleaned, filleted, headed or gutted fish, but excluding such processed products as dried or salt cured fish. |
| 2. |
Fresh meat products include such minimally processed products as cut and thinly sliced meats, organs and frozen meats. |
Behind the so-called “shift away from fish” tendency are the following factors.
| a. |
Children nowadays prefer meat to fish. A survey shows that the major reason for eating more meat than fish in Japanese homes is that “One member of the family does not care for fish.” Of the families who answered that they preferred meat, 70% responded that their children had no stomach for fish. At school, children ranked fish as the least popular dish of their school lunch.
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| b. |
Fisheries products are becoming relatively more expensive than meat. Until 1976, the unit price of fresh fisheries products had remained 40% to 60% of that of fresh meat, while both had experienced price increases. Subsequently, fresh meat prices remained stable at around 160 to 180 yen per 100 grams (3.5 oz.), but the price of fresh fish continued to rise, finally reaching the meat price and remained unchanged since 1989. The price hike of fisheries products is partly due to increase in processing cost stemming from the growing popularity of filleted fish and sliced sashimi fish. The price gap between fresh fish and meat has disappeared, and consumers feel that fish is relatively more expensive than meat because of the following reason.
Fisheries products contain inedible parts, such as the head, bones and organs, the per unit price of fish turns out to be higher than that of meat, due to the fact of less quantity. In general, fish plates do not invite a feeling of fullness. These are also other factors causing consumers feel that fish is more expensive than meat.
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| c. |
“Cooking fish is bothersome.” “Washing a fish grill is troublesome.” “I don’t have fish recipes.” “Removing fish bones is bothersome.” These comments show that a major reason for avoiding fish is the notion that cooking fish is troublesome |
Around 1965, daily fish consumption per capita in Japan was a little short of 80 grams (2.82 oz.). Subsequently it continued to rise, reaching a record high of 110 grams (3.87 oz.) around 2000, but consumption declined to 94 grams (3.31 oz) in 2005. If this negative trend continues for the next 10 years, the nation’s fish consumption is expected to fall back to the 1965 level. In view of the excellent nutritional qualities of fish, it is feared that this could negatively affect the healthy diet of the Japanese.
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| 2. |
Japan and fisheries industry
Average annual fisheries and aquaculture production in Japan amounts to 6.08 million tons, or approximately 1.6 trillion yen in value. Domestic marine production is supported by 238,000 people engaging in the Japanese fisheries industry. However, due to the gradually aging and shrinking workforce in the industry, domestic supply is no longer sufficient to meet the domestic demand for fisheries products. The nation’s self-sufficient rate in fisheries products has drastically diminished due to a decline in domestic fish production and an increase in fish imports. The rate ceased to fall and has remained around 55% over the recent years.
The above domestic situation is not the only reason behind the domestic supply shortage. There have been major changes in the international fishing environment. Firstly, the 1973 oil crisis brought the problem of high fuel costs to fishing vessel operations. Next, a more substantial change in the international situation surrounding the fisheries industry occurred in the 1970s. Traditionally, coastal states exercised sovereignty over their territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles (1 NM: 1,852ｍ), under the principle of freedom of the seas. Outside the territorial waters, any state could freely operate their fishing vessels. However, some coastal states began to claim a 200-nautical mile exclusive fisheries zone, and from the 1970s onward the movement of regulating fishing operations of foreign vessels in the 200-mile coastal waters spread all over the world. Japanese fishermen confronted difficulties in operating their fishing vessels in the 200-nauticle mile coastal waters of the world. They were faced with the difficult choice of paying coastal nations expensive access fees for fishing permits, buying out fish yields from the fishermen of coastal nations or giving up fishing in the 200-nauticle mile zone. Subsequently, in 1994 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea took effect, establishing the 200-nauticle mile exclusive economic zone. Before that, however, the First United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea concluded the Convention of the Continental Shelf concerning the resources of shallow waters to a depth of 200 meters (600 feet). This convention was established for coastal states to claim sovereignty over the resources of the seabed and subsoil of submarine areas, which nurture plankton and are often rich fishing grounds.
The trends in Japan’s fisheries product importation and domestic production in the course of these events are shown in Figure 2.
(Figure 2)
Incidentally, Japan’s low self-sufficiency rate is not limited to fisheries products. The self-sufficient rate for food in general was around 39% in 2006. As far as energy resources are concerned including oil, Japan depends on imports for 90% of its energy supply, showing the nation’s extremely low level of self-sufficient rate for fundamental resources of human lives.
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| 3. |
Fisheries trade
| a. |
Import
In 2006, Japan imported 3.15 million tons, or １.71 trillion yen, of fisheries products, comprising about 2.3% of the nation’s total imports, making fisheries products the tenth largest import item. Major fish exporters to Japan in descending order are China, the United States, Chile, Russia and Thailand, a ranking that has remained almost the same over the past several years. The 2006 imports saw a 5.7% decline in volume and a 2.3% increase in value over the previous year.
The decline in volume and increase in value are considered to be due to the depreciation of the yen.
Major import items and volume of fisheries products are shown below. (Unit: 1,000 tons)
Shrimp
Ground Cod
Big-eye tuna
Squid/cuttlefish |
231
117
102
94 |
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Salmon/trout
Yellowfin tuna
Crab
Ground golden threadfin bream |
202
109
96
63 |
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| b. |
Export
In 2006, Japan exported 590,000 tons, or 204.4 billion yen, of fisheries products, up 20% in both volume and value over the previous year.
Major export items and volume of fisheries products are shown below. (Unit: 1,000 tons)
Mackerel
Salmon/trout
Pearl
Squid |
180
66
48
11 |
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Cod
Skipjack tuna
White tuna
Fish cake |
90
53
12
8 |
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| 4. |
Summary
As described above, Japan was once a major fishing power, but ironically, Japanese people are increasingly “shifting away from fish” and the nation’s self‐sufficiency rate for fisheries products remains low. Such circumstances might be behind the integration between Japanese two major fishery companies in October 2007. Meanwhile, worldwide demand for fisheries products appears to be getting stronger due to growing concern about healthy diet and food safety issues, such as beef infected with BSE and poultry with bird flu. The following statistics show the growth of fisheries product consumption in three regions between 1973 and 2003.
China up 5 times U.S. up 1.4 times EU up 1.3 times
Increasing worldwide demand for fisheries products and tougher regulation of fishing operations are pushing up fish prices. Japan has been the world’s top country in terms of longevity, a quality believed to be supported by its rich fish dietary culture. It is hoped that world fisheries industry cooperation among all coastal states will contribute to richer dietary lives for all people in the world.
(This document was compiled on the basis of information concerning the websites of “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, “White Paper 2006 on Fisheries by Fisheries Agency”, and “the Japan Fish Traders Association”) |
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