2019-2023 Highlights

Past Awardees

The information of each project is from that time.

5th

2023

Leadership Award 
Champion

Building a platform to "Enrich the world's oceans from Kita- Sanriku

Kita-Sanriku Factory
moova

“Isoyake," known as the desertification of the ocean, is a serious environmental and social issue in various countries, including Japan. It is caused by environmental changes such as global warming and is characterized by the overpopulation of sea urchins, which leads to the destruction of seaweed bed.
At the Kita-Sanriku Factory, we are working for "Sea Urchin Regeneration and Cultivation" to transform lean sea urchins, which have suffered due to the isoyake, into delicious sea urchins rather than disposing of them. We also promote "Seaweed bed restoration" using compost blocks made from sea urchin shells.
However, the awareness of the global issue of ocean desertification is still low, and to address the increasingly critical situation, we believe that more effort and innovative ideas are required. Therefore, we have established a platform that connects people and communities from various fields, not just those in the seafood industry, to take collective action in confronting this challenge.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

U-30 Award 
Champion

Developing future leaders through research projects of unused fishery resources

Miya Fisheries High School, Yamasa Chikuwa Co., Ltd., and Aichi Prefecture Freshwater Aquaculture Cooperation

In collaboration with Yamasa Chikuwa, our school has developed "Satsuma-age" (a type of deep-fried fish cake) using golden shrimp harvested by the Nishiura Fishermen's Cooperative in Gamagori City. Golden shrimp is a deep-sea shrimp that can be challenging to peel, and it is sometimes discarded even if caught. Although processing is labor-intensive, when heated, these shrimp display a vivid red color, making them particularly distinctive (they appear pale red when raw but become more vibrant when cooked). We have looked at the color change and turned the powdered shrimp into surimi, which is then provided to local school lunch programs and other initiatives.
By collaborating with local businesses to process locally-caught seafood, we aim to spark students' interest in the seafood industry and nurture the next generation of professionals. This project not only promotes local sustainability but also educates and engages students in the importance of local seafood production.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Special Award

Sustainable fisheries through complete order-based fishing

Kunimi-maru

Our business concept is a sustainable fishery with the concept of "Your Exclusive Fisherman," which is the first of its kind in Japan, known as "Complete Order-based Fishing." It is a novel fishery system that incorporates a made-to-order production from nature by using e-commerce sites and social media to accept built-to-order from consumers.
Traditionally, fishermen catch fish at their convenience and supply them to the market. Our “Complete Order-based Fishing”, on the other hand, is the opposite of the conventional fishing system. It represents a new business model that can address current challenges in the fishing industry, such as overfishing of fishery resources, price instability, overworked fishermen, and a shortage of successors.
”Complete Order-based Fishing” aims to bring innovation to the fishing industry while preserving resources for the future. We are currently in the process of applying for the prefecture's business innovation plan.

Finalists

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2023
Winners and Finalists

4th

2022

Leadership Award 
Champion

Accelerating sustainable seafood and aquaculture with small-scale artisanal fishermen and farmers

Fish & Planet, Inc.
Ginza Daishin Co., Ltd.
Youth group at Kitakami-cho Jusan-hama division, Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association
DNV Business Assurance Japan K.K.

Fish & Planet Inc. has been working with small-scale artisanal fishery and aquaculture producers to accelerate towards sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. As the first project, with financial support from Ginza Daishin, an affiliate of Fish & Planet.and a long-established tempura restaurant established in the Edo period, we have provided technical and financial support for the assessment under the ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard for the Japan’s first certified seaweed (wakame) and kelp (konbu) fishery/farming by a young group of producers in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.. This certification will be the first Japanese and second world ASC Group certification (certification by a voluntary group). After they get certified, Fish & Planet plans to purchase ASC-certified wakame and konbu produced by the group at a fair and stable price and sell them to the domestic and overseas sustainable seafood markets. In the future, Fish & Planet will also support the acquisition of the certification by other groups of producers.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Collaboration Award 
Champion

Acquire MSC certification through Fishery Improvement Project at the coastal areas of the Yellow Sea, China

Nichirei Fresh Inc.
Dandong Taihong Foodstuff
WWF China
WWF Japan

The coastal areas of the Yellow Sea, where are surrounded by the Chinese continent and the Korean Peninsula, have rich ecosystems with high biodiversity. In the Yellow Sea,, the estuary of the Yalu River is an important transit area for migratory birds and one of China's major clam production areas. Dandong Taihong Foodstuff, WWF China, and WWF Japan launched a fishery improvement project (FIP) in November 2016 to achieve sustainable clam production in this region. Through these efforts, we entered full assessments of the MSC Certification in January 2020 and certified in September 2021.
This acquisition of the MSC Certification is the first case in China that was achieved through a fishery improvement project in which the collaborative works by interregional stakeholders in the supply chain of China and Japan.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

U-30 Award 
Champion

©Hidehiro Akahoshi

Stock management project of hard clam fishery in Aso Sea, Kyoto

Junya Murakami (Mizoshiri area, Kyoto Fisheries Cooperative)
Steering Committee of Mizoshiri area, Kyoto Fisheries Cooperative

Junya Murakami is a fisherman who is engaged in the short-neck clam (Meretrix lusoria) stock recovery project in Aso Sea, Kyoto Prefecture. He became a fisherman soon after graduating from junior high school and became independent at the age of 19. At the age of 22, he appealed to the Fisheries Cooperative for strengthening management of short-neck clam stock. He then joined forces with the Steering Committee of Mizoshiri area, Kyoto Fisheries Cooperative and Fisheries Technology Department; Kyoto Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Technology Center. After two years of voluntary fishing restraint, in 2021, he started stock management. Based on Forestry and Fisheries Technology Center’s advice, he aims to recover clam stock by setting fishing seasons, regulating fishing hours, and catch volume instead of total length limits. Even during the fishery season, he tries to end fishing when the catch reaches 30-40% of the stock.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Finalists

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2022
Winners and Finalists

3rd

2021

Leadership Award 
Champion

“CO・OP Sustainable” : Launch seafood under message"Protecting ocean resources" and efforts for “Responsible Procurement”

Japan Consumers’ Co-operative Union

Japan Consumers’ Co-operative Union launched "CO・OP Sustainable" product series in spring in 2021, using Co-op private brand products whose main ingredients are sustainable agricultural, forestry products and seafood. Certified Co-op seafood products have a message of “Protecting ocean resources” to make it easier for consumers to find and choose sustainables seafood at sales floor.
We also set "2030 Goals for CO・OP Brand Products", and CO・OP Brand Products "Basic Policy on Responsible Procurement" that aims to further consider human rights and environment and to promote “responsible procurement”, along with "Consumer Co-op 2030 Environmental Sustainability Policy" that every Co-op are working on.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Collaboration Award 
Champion

Acquire MSC Certification for Kochi and Miyazaki Offshore Pole and Line Albacore and Skipjack fishery

Japan Offshore pole and Line Tuna Fishery Sustainability Council

(name) that was found in November 2019 entered MSC’s full assessment on 9th July 2020, and in September, with cooperation of Fisheries Agency, National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries（at that time) and environment NGO, site visit was organized. After the client and peer review, public review and submission of a Notice of Objection, we successfully acquired the certification on 17th June, 2021.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Special Award

Comprehensive cooperation agreement on sustainable use of seafood produced in Tokyo and conservation of marine environment

Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and Sailors for the Sea Japan

Finalists

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2021
Winners and Finalists

2nd

2020

Leadership Award 
Champion

Kijima: “Passing on Delicious Japanese Cuisine and Our Vibrant Seas to Future Generations”

Kijima Co., Ltd.

Under the slogan of “Passing on delicious Japanese cuisine and our vibrant seas to future generations,” Kijima has been engaged in various efforts aimed at addressing the problems surrounding our seas in a multifaceted manner so as to ensure that the seas of Japan will be preserved in a sustainable manner.
“What can Kijima do to pass on our vibrant seas to future generations?”
“What can Kijima do for our seas in terms of our social responsibility as a company that is operating restaurants serving seafood?”
Kijima takes these questions seriously and is currently involved in the following initiatives.

● The first restaurant serving Japanese cuisine offering MSC/ASC-certified seafood
・Ratio of MSC-certified products among wild fish: 8.3% (3 MSC-certified items out of 36)
・ Ratio of ASC- certified products among farmed fish: 60% (3 ASC-certified items out of 5)
(All figures are based on our monthly menu items as of September 2020)

● Promoting the use of organic/naturally cultivated agricultural products
The contamination of soil, rivers, and groundwater with pesticides and fertilizers ultimately leads to pollution of the sea.We have launched the “Kijima Organic Challenge” this term to visualize the rate of use of organic/naturally cultivated agricultural products in addition to that of sustainable seafood described above
・Ratio of naturally cultivated rice: 100%
・Ratio of organic/naturally cultivated products among fresh agricultural products: 56.6%
(All figures are based on our monthly menu items as of September 2020)

● Eliminating synthetic detergents
This term, we have successfully eliminated the use of petroleum-derived synthetic surfactants, which are a major source of marine pollution.

● Promoting the use of FSC-certified forest resources
Kijima uses FSC-certified wood materials for our chopsticks, straws, and restaurant interior décor. Our use of FSC-certified forest resources serves to demonstrate our understanding of the intimate connection between the forest and the sea, share the importance of “protecting forests in order to safeguard our seas” with all employees of our company, and convey this message to our customers.
The progress we have made this term includes successfully obtaining the first “FSC project certification” among Japanese restaurants for our restaurant in Minatomirai, and replacing the paper straws used in all our restaurants with FSC-certified straws produced in Yamanashi prefecture.

● Adopting environment-conscious printed matter
We are currently in the process of replacing the printed matter that our customers touch and see at Kijima with materials produced using non-petroleum-based solvent inks friendly to humans and the environment, FSC-certified paper, and renewable energy. Around 990,000 pamphlets and other in-store printed matter produced annually has been replaced with environment-conscious printed matter this term.

● Eliminating the use of plastic
This term, we have replaced all packaging materials for bento boxes used in our food delivery and catering operations with containers made from paper and wood without the use of any plastic.

Click here to read an
interview with Champion.

Collaboration Award 
Champion

Ocean to Table: Blockchain-based Traceability Project

Kaiko Bussan Co., Ltd., IBM Japan, Ltd., IX Knowledge, Inc., Light House Co., Ltd.

Sardines and flatfish were abundant in Tokyo Bay in the 1980s during the peak of fisheries in Japan. A variety of environmental changes since then that can be attributed to human activities have not only resulted in a dramatic reduction in catch, but also a sharp spike in the reliance of fisheries on sea bass, which had a relatively large population. These changes have led to Funabashi City unexpectedly becoming the top landing site for sea bass in Japan. Currently, no management targets or catch quotas have been specified for sea bass, which is not classified as a TAC species. As a result, the fishing pressure on sea bass has been rising year after year while both the average size of individuals as well as its landing volume have been declining. Based on precedents around the world, this phenomenon can be said to be a warning sign that the resource is on the brink of depletion. In order to address this situation, there is an urgent need to equip fisheries with resource management capabilities. While fisheries that had participated in Japan’s first comprehensive FIPs, developed rules to govern their operations, and adopted measures to protect the marine environment and ecosystem have witnessed a growth in their brand values, there is unfortunately no means to convey this fact. In addition to freshness and flavor quality, it is now essential for fisheries to create new value and encourage ethical consumption as the shift from quantity to quality has become critical. Moreover, accurate product information aimed at discerning consumers is more important than ever on e-commerce websites in the current with-COVID era, especially when it comes to the consumption of seafood. This is also the case for consumers who are choosing restaurants to dine at.

In order to disseminate catch data collected by ISANA of Light House Co., Ltd. (which has already been adopted at some fishery sites) to ethical consumers, we have focused on leveraging the expertise of “Food Trust,” a blockchain service of IBM Corporation which has an overwhelming market share in this area. At the same time, IX Knowledge, Inc. has developed new system apps that handle landing classification data, shipment data, processing-related data, and delivery data. These apps create a mechanism that enables various stakeholders to simply scan a QR code at different stages in the distribution of products from the fishery site to access the relevant information anytime and anywhere it is needed. These products can be purchased at Rakuten’s “Earth Mall.” For end users familiar with restaurant information and recipes, the code attached to the menus of restaurants also makes the “distribution history” of a fish immediately available for perusal, allowing the consumer to verify if the fish has been caught in line with regulatory requirements and enjoy a peace of mind when dining. This “Ocean to Table” project is an innovative platform that seeks to promote traceability as a completely novel positive value, and is a highly socially valuable project for the management of fishery resources, transformation of consumption behavior, and the eradication of IUU fisheries.

Special Award

Usufukuhonten Co., Ltd.

In August of this year, Usufukuhonten became the first company in the world to receive MSC certification for the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery. Bluefin tuna has long been a favorite ingredient for sushi, especially among Japanese, but the decline of its stock has led to international controversy over the quota for the fishery.

However, scientific evidence has shown that the abundance of bluefin tuna is recovering, and Usfukuhonten was able to obtain certification in August of this year in recognition of its longstanding efforts to ensure traceability while protecting the quota for the fishery.

In addition to making the fishing industry sustainable, the company also built a new fishing boat (the Daiichi Shofuku Maru) to make it easier for the crew to work and take care of their stress, as they have to spend long periods of time at sea once they set out to fishing. This effort was recognized widely and won this year's Good Design Award.

Finalists

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2020
Winners and Finalists

1st

2019

Initiative Award 
Champion

First in Japan: Introduction of Sustainable Seafood for Corporate Cafeterias - Transforming Consumer Behavior and Contributing SDGs from Corporate Cafeterias - Project

Panasonic Corporation Brand Communication Division CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility Department

This activity is an initiative to continuously introduce MSC/ASC certified sustainable seafood to company employee cafeterias, and has been started being offered for the first time in Japan at two locations once a month from March 2018. During the year 2020, the company aims to introduce it to all of its approximately 100 company employee cafeterias.
This “objective of the activity” is, by introducing it into company employee cafeterias, to increase the awareness of employees of, among others, the critical condition of fishery resources, the significance, and importance as a countermeasure against it, and the primary certifications, MSC and ASC, and to contribute to the achievement of SDGs by initiating the selection and purchase of sustainable seafood, not only at the company employee cafeterias but also outside of the company, which is called “transformation of consumer behavior.”
By doing so, in the second phase of the project of this activity (July 2018 to the end of July 2019) they have worked on “expansion of locations for intra-company introduction”, “promoting the expansion of introduction at other companies”, and “general advancement of employee awareness.”
With regard to expansion of locations for intra-company introduction, they have advanced it with “horizontal deployment” to other locations by entrusting it to Aim Service, which was the first catering business in Japan to have received MSC/ASC CoC certification and “A proposal for a new certification and introduction thereof” to other catering companies.
As a result of this, it has been introduced at 9 locations through “horizontal deployment.” Five companies, including Green House, Ai Food Company Limited, Tastipal, Uokuni Sohonsha Co., Ltd., have obtained the “new” certification and have introduced it at 11 locations. (Total 20 locations: Total number of meals served annually: Approximately 3.4 million meals)
Furthermore, CoC certification was obtained at 44 locations nationwide through OIE SANGYO CO., LTD., a major food distributor, becoming a large foundation for the expansion of the introduction of sustainable seafood in the future.
To support the introduction of the expansion at other companies, using various opportunities, such as holding lectures, etc. and meetings are conducted to share know-how individually.
As a result of this, Hitachi, Denso, JXTG Holdings, and others have actually introduced it. Especially at Denso, 1. The development of a new section called DG s inter-company osmosis tool, and 2. The introduction at 6 locations in the short timespan of half a year. Additionally, it is being advanced for further expanded introduction.
For increasing awareness, we worked on initiatives for displays for in company employee cafeterias and distributing awareness pamphlets, thorough awareness by using inter-company e-Learning, and press releases, and it was featured in many newspapers, magazines, web posts, etc. Furthermore, through appearances in various advertising methods, etc., such as video news and web articles in cooperation with advertising departments, etc., we have conveyed information about sustainable seafood to the general public.

Panasonic “Chose to protect the sea!” Expanding sustainable seafood to company employee cafeterias: https://www.panasonic.com/jp/corporate/sustainability/citizenship/environment/sustainable_seafood.html

Collaboration Award 
Champion

“The Shrimp Farming Improvement Project in Sulawesi Indonesia (AIP) ” Project

The Japanese Consumers’ Cooperative Union, WWF Japan (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan ), BOMAR (PT. Bogatama Marinusa), WWF Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia)

The Japanese Consumers’ Cooperative Union (JCCU) has started the “The Shrimp Farming Improvement Project in Sulawesi Indonesia”” in July 2018 to support the work improving the farming of black tiger shrimps in a sustainable way, based on the standards set out by the ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council). The project is a collaboration between the four institutions, the Indonesian company BOMAR (the main customer of shrimp black tiger products to JCCU), WWF Japan, WWF Indonesia and JCCU and it is scheduled to be completed in three years.
The aim of the project is to “protect the ecosystem and the biodiversity” and “establish a livelihood for the local residence and produce and consume marine produce in a sustainable manner”. Its main activities are to revive the mangrove lost through development of farm ponds, creating procedure documents for water quality survey and conducting training, as well as policy advice concerning managing resources of the shrimps.
The project field is a rough fishpond for shrimp black tigers located in Pinrang in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

＜Project members and Tasks＞
BOMAR: It will improve the sustainability of its business as the processor. It will provide survey equipment to the producers. It will collaborate and communicate with local officials. WWF Indonesia: It will design the project and manage the process. It will provide technical support for improvement (ex: reviving the mangrove and providing training for the workers etc.). It will collaborate and communicate with local officials.
JCCU: Develop and provide the product. Work on the processor (BOMAR) to ensure sustainability, provide financial support, and communicate with the consumers and Co-op members.

＜Activity update and future works＞
We have conducted evaluation on the environmental impact and societal impact and identified the problems that need to be improved by AIP and is working on the project. On the revival of the mangrove, according to the ASC standard, about half of the farming pond which is 28ha out of 56ha is needed to be revived and we have revived 12ha of it which is more than 40,000 mangrove trees by August 2019.
We are still creating the document and conducting training.
It is scheduled to proceed to the main evaluation of the ASC recognition at the farming pond under this project by mid-2020. Additionally, in the future, we are aiming to expand the ASC recognition to other farming ponds.

The Shrimp Farming Improvement Project in Sulawesi Indonesia: (WWF Japan) https://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/basicinfo/3652.html

Collaboration Award 
Champion

Tokyo Bay Next Generation Traceability System Project

Kaikou Bussan Co., Ltd., Daidenmaru Co., Ltd., Nakasenmaru Co., Ltd., Lighthouse Co., Ltd.

The activity which the Kaikou Bussan Co., Ltd. and Lighthouse Co., Ltd. is working on is the “Establishment of the fist next generation traceability system from Japan which combines the know-how of the fisheries cultivated for a hundred years and most advanced technology”. The data of haul of fish becomes essential when evaluating and managing resources. Furthermore, traceability of the fish haul is ensured by fishermen being easily able to record, analyse, and share such information. Meaning that by being able to communicate the story of “when”, “where”, “who”, “what”, “how”, and “why” it was caught to the distributers and consumers, they can provide an additional value of whether or not this fisheries was sustainable and whether or not it was safe.
Lighthouse Co., Ltd. collects the data of work progress from the ship such as the tracks of the ship route and fishfinder image and sonar images in real times, and through developing the visualizing vessel platform “ISANA” which system they provide to many ships, they have gained the reputation for “making fishing more efficient”. Adding to this, they are developing the system that records the fish haul which is a simple input of fishing data by the fishermen themselves with the aim of it being completed by spring 2020.
This project is a cooperative one with Daidenmaru/Kaikou Bussan Co., Ltd. which has historically conducted seine fishing at Tokyo Bay, and it has attempted experiments by bringing the product inside the ship from December 2018, and it is aiming for the establishment of an easier yet more precise data input environment through constant feedback from the workplace. There was a strong thought to sustainability in fisheries in the Tokyo Bay from the head of both Daidenmaru and Kaikou Bussan Co., Ltd., Ono Kazuhiko. Somebody pointed out the issue that “they were taking notes for the fishing data every time they threw in a net and inputting the data in the Excel work sheet between bad weather, but they wondered if it was not possible to introduce IT or AI technology into this”, and due to this the tech group at the Lighthouse Co., Ltd, with Shindo Katsuki as its lead decided to get involved with “ISANA” as its base. In the future, we are thinking of not only providing support to evaluation and management of resources, but also starting from this, share the data to distributers, retail shops, restaurants, and consumers, and simultaneously keep in mind the block chain, and thus create a truly sustainable brand.
This project will improve the efficiency of the fisheries by increasing fuel and landing, as well as contributing to the evaluation and management of resources and ending IUU fisheries with the establishment of traceability. We think that it could be a new additional value, and consequently broadly contribute to the popularization of sustainable seafood in Japan.

Kaikou Bussan Co., Ltd. HP: https://kaikobussan.com/

Lighthouse Co., Ltd. HP: https://lighthouse-frontier.tech/

Finalists

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2019
Winners and Finalists