Hokkaido fishery enters MSC assessment

Hokkaido Gyoren fisheries catch around 31% of the Japanese national catch. Fall chum salmon account for about 10% of the Hokkaido catch, and are the main salmon species harvested in Japan. Fall chum salmon, called ‘Akisake’ or ‘Akiaji’ return to their river of birth after moving from the North Pacific, Okhotsk, Alaska Bay to the Bering Sea. They grow to approximately 70cm and 2-6kg.

Stocks of Hokkaido salmon significantly dropped due to overfishing and illegal fishing in the early 1900s, but recovered in the late 1970s as a result of industry efforts. The stock level is now recovered and stable. In 2010, 123,000t of salmon was landed in Hokkaido, with 58,400t by the Hokkaido Gyoren.

The development of the Hokkaido fall chum salmon set net fishery is based on well planned stock and appropriate ecosystem-based management. The Hokkaido Gyoren decided to enter the Kitami Hokkaido fall chum salmon set net fishery into the MSC assessment, as the fishery is considered a good model of resource management.

Toshihiro Miyoshi, the secretary of Hokkaido Gyoren said, "We have decided, by agreement across the association, to enter MSC assessment to meet the increasing market demand for sustainable seafood from appropriately managed fisheries. If successful, we expect our fall chum salmon products with the MSC blue ecolabel will be welcomed and valued by domestic and overseas markets."

Rupert Howes, chief executive of the MSC said, "The Japanese fishing industry was subject to terrible destruction by the earthquake and tsunami tragedy that hit Japan in March 2011. The MSC hopes that all the people affected will be able to rebuild their livelihoods and wishes them a swift recovery to their former strength. The co-operative spirit and the determination of the Japanese people to rebuild their industry is evidenced today by the tremendously encouraging decision by the Hokkaido fall chum salmon set net fishery to enter full assessment against the MSC standard."