PROGRAM

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
Founder/CEO

Wakao Hanaoka

Wakao majored in Marine Environmental Studies and Marine Biology at a university in Florida. After graduation, he worked in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia, then spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at Greenpeace Japan in 2007.
He founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the position of CEO. With the purpose of "passing on the abundance of seafood, which symbolizes the connection between nature, society, and the economy of the sea, to future generations (legacy)," he is working on a system shift by connecting diverse stakeholders in the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and media to make seafood products that pursue environmental sustainability and social responsibility mainstream in the distribution of seafood in the Asian region.
Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021-), Director, Global Fisheries Transparency Coalition (2022-),
Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017-),
Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency (2018-).

Nikkei BP
Senior Managing Director

Naoki Asami

Naoki Asami graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering in 1985 and completed his master's course at the University of Tokyo, School of Engineering in 1987. Amid the second AI boom, he chose artificial intelligence applications in mechanical design as his research topic. In 1987, he joined Nikkei BP (then known as Nikkei McGraw-Hill), covering the computer and semiconductor fields in the Nikkei Electronics editorial department. In 1994, he took a post in Silicon Valley, where he covered the IT industry, including Intel and Microsoft. After serving as editor-in-chief of Nikkei Electronics and publisher of Nikkei Business, he became a director in 2013, managing director in 2019, and senior managing director in 2023, where he remains today.
His favorite fish are sweetfish and horse mackerel.

Marine Stewardship Council
CEO

Rupert Howes

Rupert Howes has served as Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) since October 2004. Prior to joining the MSC, Rupert worked as the Director of the Sustainable Economy Programme at the Forum for the Future, an influential UK-based sustainable development organization that partners with business, capital markets, governments, and others to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable way of life. Rupert previously worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at Sussex University, and a Research Officer at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
Rupert has been internationally recognized for his work to promote sustainable fishing practices. In 2014, Rupert was awarded a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award, which recognizes leaders in sustainable social innovation. In 2009, he received the World Wildlife Foundation’s “Leaders for a Living Planet” Award, which recognizes individuals who make a significant personal contribution to the conservation of the natural world and sustainable development. He also received a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2007 for his contributions in establishing the MSC as the world’s leading fishery certification and ecolabelling program.
Rupert earned an M.Sc. in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, and a B.A. in Economics (with honors) from Sussex University. He also qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) with KPMG in 1999.

Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.
Representative Director and Vice President,
Supervising Officer of Superstore Operations,
Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Administrative Officer

Junro Ito

Born in 1958. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Gakushuin University in 1982 and joined Mitsui Trust Bank (now Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank).
Studied at Claremont Graduate University in the United States in 1987. Completed an MBA there in 1989 and then worked at Nordstrom.
Joined Seven-Eleven Japan in 1990. Transferred to its holding company, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., in May 2009, serving as Senior Officer of the Business Promotion Division, Senior Officer of the CSR Management Division, Director and Managing Executive Officer, and Representative Director and Executive Vice President, before assuming his current position in May 2024.

Skretting Co.,Ltd.
General Manager

Gihyeon Park

Born in Osaka Prefecture, Gihyeon Park obtained a Master’s degree in Engineering from Kyoto University and an MBA from HEC Paris. With extensive experience in business management at various multinational corporations, he was appointed as General Manager of Skretting Co., Ltd. in February 2024. Skretting, headquartered in Norway, focuses on research and development as well as technological innovation. Mr. Gihyeon Park is committed to offering Skretting Group’s advanced solutions to customers, contributing to the growth of Japan’s aquaculture industry.

Saraya Co., Ltd.
President

Yusuke Saraya

Yusuke Saraya was born in 1951. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Osaka University in 1974. In addition, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975 with a Master's degree in sanitary engineering. Saraya joined Saraya Co., Ltd. in 1976. He was appointed President and Representative Director in 1998. He has served as president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Japan and chairman of the Global Citizen Foundation. He is President of ZERI Japan, a permanent member of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Borneo Conservation Trust. Saraya's motto is ""The Age of Global Citizenship, where we can share global values such as the environment and biodiversity beyond all discrimination and prejudice.” His major publications include Declaration of Global Citizenship: Changing the World through Business (Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.).

Walton Family Foundation
Environment Program
Senior Program Officer

Teresa Ish

Teresa manages the foundation’s Oceans initiative, which aims to bring fisheries under good management that protects ecosystems and builds economically thriving coastal communities by leveraging the influence of the largest seafood markets.
Before joining the foundation, Teresa was the seafood project manager for the Corporate Partnerships Program at Environmental Defense Fund, where she worked with leading seafood buyers to develop and implement sustainable seafood purchasing policies. She co-founded FishWise, an early leader in the sustainable seafood movement, and served on its board of directors.
Teresa has a master’s degree in marine science and joint bachelors in environmental studies and marine biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She is in the process of completing a certificate in Corporate Finance at the Harvard Extension School.

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
Markets Engagement
Global Markets Deputy Director/Advisory Services Director

Mercedes Mendoza

Mercedes brings a wealth of experience to her current role at Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), with a diverse background in the frozen oil fish trade and customer relationship management. Prior to joining SFP, she oversaw the implementation, management, and coordination of European research initiatives at a marine research center affiliated with the University of Vigo. Additionally, she has served as a hatchery manager at seabream, seabass, and turbot farms across Spain and Portugal. With a degree in Marine Sciences, her expertise underscores a strong commitment to advancing sustainable practices within the seafood industry.
As the Global Markets Deputy Director and Advisory Services Director for SFP, Mercedes supports both SFP partners and Advisory Service clients. She focuses on optimizing their use of SFP’s Seafood Metrics tool, assisting companies in gathering essential data for CSR and ESG reporting and follows up on progress evaluations of sustainability commitments, offering insights to improve the state of fisheries and aquaculture farms they source from.

Nissui Corporation
Sustainability Department
Deputy General Manager

Shigeo Morii

Shigeo Morii graduated from Hokkaido University Fisheries Sciences in 1986. He joined Nissui and started a career on a factory ship in the Bering Sea, Alaska.

Later, he worked in the fish oil pharmaceutical business and human resources and quality assurance, etc., starting sustainability activities in the Corporate Planning Dept in 2015.
Currently, in charge of seafood sustainability issues in the Sustainability Dept.

Yayasan Masyarakat dan Perikanan Indonesia (MDPI)
Fisheries Program
Fisheries Lead

Timur Putra Satria

Timur is MDPI’s Fisheries Lead and has been working with MDPI since 2015. Timur had a wide range of experience, starting as a field staff in North Buru. From 2018, Timur joined our Bali office, working first as a Data Collection Officer then Data Analyst Officer. During this time, he helped develop several key protocols for MDPI, including fish identification, fisher and ETP logs, or port sampling data methodology. His expertise and contributions have been crucial in the successful implementation of MDPI's sustainable fisheries management programs in Indonesia, and as such, he was appointed Fisheries Lead in early 2023.

Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union (JCCU)
Brand Strategy Division, Sustainability Strategy Department

Satoshi Matsumoto

As a member of JCCU since 1988, Satoshi Matsumoto has extensive experience in logistics management, sales and merchandising of private brand products under the JCCU private brand, CO•OP. His past roles at JCCU include the following: sustainability manager, Brand Strategy Division, Sustainability Strategy Department (2022-2024); officer in charge of sustainable procurement, Merchandising Division (2017-2022); general manager, Perishable Ingredient Promotion Department (2016-2017); general manager, Marine Products Department (2014-2016); general manager, Tohoku Region Branch (2012-2014); and general manager, Joint Merchandising Department (2010-2012).

Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
Project Director

Ryan Bigelow

Ryan leads the Alliance’s multi-stakeholder work focused on creating guidelines for FIPs, corporate seafood commitments and a joint vision for sustainable seafood. Ryan spent ten years with the Monterey Bay Aquarium where he managed the Seafood Watch program. Before joining our movement, Ryan lived in Japan, translating and interpreting.

The Nature Conservancy
Corporate Engagement
Senior Corporate Engagement Advisor, Fisheries & Aquaculture

Robert Johnson

Rob Johnson is the Senior Corporate Engagement Advisor, Fisheries and Aquaculture at The Nature Conservancy (TNC). He is a knowledgeable seafood sustainability professional that brings together a comprehensive background of business partnership leadership, markets-based sustainable seafood program development, and industry procurement and supply chain management. He has worked with varied market tools for environmental sustainability and social and economic responsibility, with an aim towards building resilience, systems coherence and transformational change.

Rob has a Master of Science in Natural Resource and Ecosystem Management from Stockholm University, has worked as the Managing Director of Sea Pact, Atlantic Canada lead at SeaChoice, and as an independent consultant. He has further background in high-level negotiation/mediation, collaborative partnerships in coalitions, stakeholder engagement, and is a strong advocate for collaboration and competition drivers of collective action for meaningful sector-wide change.

Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
Korea Office
Senior Campaigner

Woojin Chung

Woojin (Kate) leads campaigns in South Korea at the Environmental Justice Foundation to improve transparency, traceability, and human rights protections in the fisheries sector.

She previously spent 6 years working with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries where she contributed to fisheries tariff negotiations and economic cooperation before becoming a programme manager of port development aid. As the programme manager, Woojin was responsible for the Ministry’s port construction aid programmes across Asia, Pacific and Africa. Prior to the governmental jobs, she served the nation as Naval officer working for intelligence coordination between Republic of Korea and the U.S Navy for maritime security.

Trace Register Inc.
Customer Service
Vice President

Sayo Morita Kijima

After joining Trace Register in 2008, Sayo has been immersed in the world of seafood traceability and passionate about, and unwavering in her commitment to sustainable, transparent and fully visible supply chains. She has implemented traceability systems for companies in more than 20 countries, including Asian, North America, and Europe.

She serves many sectors of the global seafood industry interacting with farms, vessels, processors, export/import, distribution,warehouses, retailers and a variety of others. This comprehensive insight gives her unique perspective and visibility into seafood supply chains and the challenges and opportunities each face. Sayo has successfully developed and implemented processes to streamline the gathering, input and transmission of traceability data throughout the supply chain and has led her team in training Best Practices industry wide.

IX Knowledge Inc.
DX and Innovation Department
Group Manager

Yasuko Oka

In 2003, Yasuko Oka joined IX Knowledge Inc as a systems engineer. There, she garnered experience in systems development for government agencies and mobile communications businesses, and as a project manager for the company's own products and services. Since April 2020, she has taken charge of project management for the development of seafood traceability system infrastructure.

WWF Japan
Oceans and Seafood Group Conservation Division
Manager of Anti-IUU Fishery Project & Manager of Fisheries Resources Management

Shuhei Uematsu

Shuhei Uematsu is a specialist in fisheries stock management and coastal marine conservation. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo. He then worked for Accenture, a management consulting firm, and National Fisheries Resources Institute before joining WWF Japan in 2013. He worked for international fisheries resources conservation and IUU fishery measures, including tuna, skipjack, Pacific saury, and squid, He was a Fisheries Agency's committee member for Import control rules in 2021.

Oxfam in Asia
Private Sector Programme Manager- Asia

Rapatsa Trirath

Rapatsa Trirath is the Private Sector Programme Manager at Oxfam in Asia, based in Bangkok, Thailand. With nearly a decade of experience, she leads efforts to influence seafood supply chains in Southeast Asia, partnering with frontline civil society to champion worker rights and marine sustainability. Her expertise in business and human rights, coupled with supply chain management, has been pivotal in shaping policy dialogues with the private sector. Currently, Rapatsa leads business and human rights projects in Asia, fostering collaboration between businesses and civil society. In 2020, she published a paper on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on small-scale producers and workers in Thailand’s seafood supply chain. In 2023, she managed a policy paper on Human Rights Due Diligence in the seafood and palm oil sectors in Asia, highlighting how companies in Asia can incorporate HRDD in line with UNGP on Business and Human Rights.

FCF Co, Ltd.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Advisor to the President

Raymond Clarke

Ray Clarke is currently an Advisor to the President of FCF Ltd of Kaohsiung, Taiwan and the Vice President (VP) of Governmental Affairs and Fisheries Management for Bumble Bee Seafoods. He is currently focusing on sustainability and social responsibility issues in our source fisheries. Previously, he was a VP for a purse seine management and operations company that oversaw what at the time was of the largest US-flagged distant water purse seine fishing fleet. Before reentering the private sector in 2016, Ray was employed by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) where he completed a 33 year USGovernment career as the acting-chief of the International Fisheries Division of the NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Prior to working for NMFS, Ray was employed as a foreign fishery observer in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and had several stints at commercial fishing in waters off California and Hawaii.

Global Labor Justice
Deputy Director

Valery Alzaga

Valery Alzaga is a labor and migrant rights campaigner and organiser with more than 20 years of organising experience across a range of different sectors - including property services, care, transport, health, retail, IT, renewable energies and auto-manufacturing. She started as an organiser with the Justice for Janitors campaign before becoming the Property Service Director at Local 105 in Denver, where she also was the president of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. She then worked for SEIU’s global department helping win and implement breakthrough global cleaning and security organising agreements (ISS, Securitas, G4S). From 2008 to 2015 she was the European organising coordinator with the Change to Win European Organising Centre (CTW-EOC) based in Amsterdam, working with many European unions and sectors to help them develop their own strategic organising campaigns and programs - including FNV (NL), UNISON and Unite (UK), IG Metal and ver.di (DE), 3F (DK), Solidarnoc (PL), SATAWU (SA) and GUFS (ITF and UNI). Since 2015 she has worked in UK public sector unions organising anti-privatization and EU and non-EU migrant rights campaigns. From 2018 to 2021 Valery was a field campaign strategist and advisor to Barcelona and Catalynia en Comu in Spain. She has a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Denver, and the Libera Universita Internazionale Degli Studi Sociali (LUISS) in Rome, and studied at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS). She is a proud mom of two and a great fan of the arts, philosophy, quantum physics, and the beautiful game.

Forum Silaturahmi Pelaut Indonesia (FOSPI), Indonesian Seafarers Gathering Forum
Founding Member, Treasurer, Fisherman

Hadi

Hadi is a fisherman who has worked in Taiwan for more than 17 years, he is also the Treasurer (2023 – 2024) for Forum Silaturahmi Pelaut Indonesia (FOSPI), or Indonesian Seafarers Gathering Forum, which is a self-organized association of more than 2,300 migrant fishers fighting for better working and living conditions for fishers in Taiwan’s coastal and deep sea commercial fishing industry. Previously, he was the secretary of FOSPI (2021-2023) and the Chairman of the Indramayu Community in Donggang (2019-2021). He was one of the founding members of FOSPI in 2007-2008. Hadi has been fighting for the welfare of Indonesian fishers in Taiwan, which he also expresses through his singing and performances. He is also a songwriter, band musician, a former member of “Pasukan Hore” (a music group consisting of fishers) in Donggang, and a fisherman.

Nichirei Corporation
Sustainability Management Division
General Manager

Mari Satou

Belonged to Strategic Planning Division, Nichirei Fresh, Inc. till 2018. Transferred to Nichirei Corporation in 2019, since then led to build an organization for sustainability management as well as have involved strategic planning and implement of sustainability for the Nichirei Group. One of KPIs for our Materiality toward 2030 is to conduct human rights due diligence, and we are working on it.

Nishimura & Asahi (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo)
Lawyer
Associate

Jumpei Nagaoka

Based on his experience at Denmark’s national human rights institution, and hands-on practice in Southeast Asia as a commercial lawyer dealing with supply chain legal issues, Jumpei can provide practical advice on human rights due diligence in relation to not only your own operations but also to the entire value chain for your products or services, in accordance with applicable international standards.

Drawing from his time at civil society organizations in both Japan and the U.S, as well as international human rights research at Columbia, Jumpei can support your journey toward respecting the full range of internationally recognized human rights throughout the value chain, and to promoting meaningful engagement with relevant stakeholders.

FishWise
Executive Director

Jenny Barker

Jenny Barker is the Executive Director of FishWise. She has a long-held passion for working with people around the world to preserve our ocean. She has more than two decades of experience in the public and private sector managing international programs.
From leading the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability, a global public-private initiative, to doing fisheries work on three continents, she leads by bringing diverse stakeholders together (government, industry, fishers, and NGOs) to identify the best solutions for the ocean and people who depend on them. She graduated with a Masters in Public Administration from George Washington University.

Fisheries Agency of Japan
Director-General

Takeshi Mori

Mori Takeshi joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1987. Since then, he has served as the Director of Fisheries Policy Planning Division, Director-General of Fisheries Policy Planning Department, Director-General of Livestock Industry Bureau, and Director-General of Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau. He is currently the Director-General of the Fisheries Agency since July 2023.

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea
Distant Water Fisheries Division
Policy Analyst

Jooyoun Lee

As a policy analyst, Jooyoun Lee works at Distant-water Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea. Her first career at the Ministry was promoting the international cooperation in multifaceted subjects of marine and fisheries sectors, which equips her with valuable insights as to coordinated responses to address any global issues. Now she is dedicated to making the government policy more effective and supporting international efforts to combat IUU fishing, a major threat to sustainable fisheries and marine environment, in cooperation with national, regional and international stakeholders.

Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan
Fisheries Resource Management Section, Coastal and Offshore Fisheries Division
Section chief

Wei-Hsiang Chang

Chang Wei Hsiang graduated from the National Taiwan Ocean University with a master’s degree in Fisheries Science in 2012. He has been working at the Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan, for nine years and currently holds the position of section chief of the Fisheries Resource Management Section.
Wei Hsiang’s team specializes in coastal and offshore fisheries resources management, formulating sustainable regulations for specific species and fishing gears, and implementing fisheries resources restoration and habitat conservation. In 2022, his team was awarded a major project achievement by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sustainability of fisheries resources is their goal, and they continue to promote regulations to achieve sustainable development.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
CEO

Chris Ninnes

Chris was appointed CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in 2011 and has driven worldwide growth and recognition of the certification label as the organisation continues to set the standard for responsible seafood.
In addition to qualifications in marine biology and fisheries management, Chris has a wealth of experience in the seafood industry ranging from being a commercial inshore fisherman to holding CEO and Chairman roles in industry-leading organisations.
Chris is Chairman of the Global Shrimp Forum Foundation and is Chair of the Steering Committee of the Certifications and Ratings Collaboration; positions he has held since their inception in 2021 and 2015 respectively.
He will step down from the ISEAL board this year after a six-year tenure as Chair. He also continues to engage with the Blue Foods Partnership initiative, a programme of the World Economic Forum, where he chaired the technical working group that developed their Aquaculture Roadmap.
Before joining the ASC, Chris was Deputy CEO and Director of Operations at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) from 2006 to 2011, where he led the expansion of the MSC’s technical and commercial work.
From 2003 to 2006 Chris was Vice President of MRAG Americas, which followed his appointment as Technical Director for MRAG Ltd from 1996 until 2002. Chris worked for the UK Department for International Development from 1983 to 2002 where he advised on seafood industry development issues in Africa and the Caribbean.

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
CEO and founder

Jim Cannon

Jim Cannon is CEO and founder of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. He has worked on fishery, forestry, and conservation issues with diverse communities in Asia, Europe, and the Americas for more than three decades.
Jim was a pioneer in working with companies to drive change through their seafood supply chains, beginning with McDonald’s in 2002 and Walmart in 2004. In 2006, Jim founded SFP to scale-up the impact of these fisheries improvement efforts. Today, the model for fisheries conservation that Jim and the SFP team created is the standard approach to seafood sustainability by seafood companies around the world. Before starting SFP, Jim edited the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Review of Marine Fisheries in the late 1990s and worked at Conservation International from 1997 to 2006, where he headed the economics program and then the policy center. He served on the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC’s) Technical Advisory Board from 2005 to 2008 and was named Intrafish’s “Person of the Year” in 2009. He studied ecology at Cambridge University, and renewable resources management and fisheries economics at Imperial College, London.
Jim is passionate about seafood and driven by a desire to take improvement to scale, getting people to adopt solutions and create the biggest impact possible. Looking toward 2030, SFP is working to address some of the most challenging issues in seafood sustainability, including reducing bycatch of endangered, threatened, and protected species; promoting effective co-management in small-scale fisheries; reducing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and supporting ecosystem-level aquaculture management to conserve and regenerate habitat.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Interim Director and Program Officer, Ocean Initiative

Sarah Hogan

Sarah Hogan is the interim Ocean Director for the Packard Foundation’s Ocean Initiative, a 10-year initiative that aims to protect and restore ocean ecosystems for people and nature now and in the future.
Sarah also serves as a Program Officer for the Foundation’s Global Fisheries portfolio, which supports work to shift policies, practices, and incentives to reinforce a more equitable, sustainable seafood sector where fishers and fish workers have secure livelihoods, decent work, and food security, and where IUU fishing and human rights abuses are ended in the seafood sector.
Sarah has worked at the Packard Foundation since 2007.

Japan Fisheries Association
President

Masaaki Edamoto

Joined Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1984 and served as Director-General of the Resources Management Department at the Fisheries Agency, Director-General of the Agricultural Production Bureau, Director-General of the Minister's Secretariat, and Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, retiring from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2022 and assuming current position in June 2023.

National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations
President

Masanobu Sakamoto

Has served as representative director and president of Choshi Fisheries Cooperative Association since June 2009 and representative director and chairman of Chiba Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association since June 2012. Has held current position since June 2022.

Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Professor

Nobuyuki Yagi

Nobuyuki Yagi is a Professor at the University of Tokyo and Member of the Science Council of Japan. His area of study includes socio-economic aspects on small-scale fishery and marketing analysis on food products. He received his MBA from the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, and his PhD from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Japan. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the IIFET (International Institute of Fisheries Economics & Trade) from 2014 to 2018 and an expert of the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) at its group on values from 2014 to 2018. He also served as a member of Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) Program of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 2019 to 2023. He was elected as the chair of this FAO Group in 2022. He was awarded the Royal Order of Sahametrei, Commander class, from the Royal Government of Cambodia in 2019 for his contributions on rural development studies in Cambodia. He also received a Certificate of an Honorary Citizen from the Government of Jeju Special Self-governing Province, Korea, in 2023.

Usufuku Honten co.,ltd.
President and CEO

Sotaro Usui

Born in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture in 1971. Graduated from Department of Law in Faculty of Law at Senshu University. After graduating from university, he joined a maritime company in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, then joined the Federation of Japan Tuna Fisheries Co-operative Associations (now the Japan Tuna Fisheries Co-operative Association), serving as a representative in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. In 1997, he joined his family's fishing company, Usufuku Honten co., ltd. (established in 1882). In 2009, he became chairman of the Kesennuma Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, he became the fifth president of Usufuku Honten co., ltd. In 2020, the company obtained the world's first MSC certification for Atlantic bluefin tuna, and in April 2022, it also obtained MEL certification. He is currently the chairman of the National Tuna Modernization Promotion Council (a national association of young deep-sea tuna shipowners).
In addition to his work, he advocates for fish consumption as a volunteer at elementary and middle schools across Japan, serving as a representative of the Organization for the Promotion of Kesennuma Fish in School Lunches and giving talks on fish for the Fisheries Agency.

Marine Eco-Label Japan (MEL) Council
Chairman

Naoya Kakizoe

After graduating from Tokyo University of Fisheries (currently Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology) in 1961, Mr. Kakizoe had worked for had Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd (currently Nissui Corporation) and served as president from 1999 to 2013. During those years, he also served as vice president of Japan Fisheries Association, president of Japan Frozen Food Association, president of Japan Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, president of Association for the Safety of Imported Food, Japan, and president of Food Industry Central Committee. Mr. Kakizoe is leading MEL Japan since 2016.

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
Founder/CEO

Wakao Hanaoka

Wakao majored in Marine Environmental Studies and Marine Biology at a university in Florida. After graduation, he worked in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia, then spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at Greenpeace Japan in 2007.
He founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the position of CEO. With the purpose of "passing on the abundance of seafood, which symbolizes the connection between nature, society, and the economy of the sea, to future generations (legacy)," he is working on a system shift by connecting diverse stakeholders in the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and media to make seafood products that pursue environmental sustainability and social responsibility mainstream in the distribution of seafood in the Asian region.
Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021-), Director, Global Fisheries Transparency Coalition (2022-),
Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017-),
Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency (2018-).

Stimson Center
Senior Fellow and Director of the Environmental Security program

Sally Yozell

Sally Yozell is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Environmental Security Program at the Stimson Center, a security research institute in Washington DC. Her research examines environmental factors that have the potential to undermine the security of individuals, communities, and nations across the globe. Yozell leads a team who explore the linkages between environmental degradation, the loss of natural resources and how these issues can threaten and undermine economic, food, and ecological security. They work with U.S. and other international governments, industry and civil society to develop and implement global security strategies to combat IUU fishing, thwart illicit networks, end forced labor abuse and work to increase transparency along the seafood supply chain. Through its climate and ocean vulnerability initiative (CORVI), the group also supports nations across the global south to identify the risks posed by climate change and identify actions which island states and developing coastal nations can take to safeguard their communities.

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea
Distant Water Fisheries Division
Policy Analyst

Jooyoun Lee

As a policy analyst, Jooyoun Lee works at Distant-water Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea. Her first career at the Ministry was promoting the international cooperation in multifaceted subjects of marine and fisheries sectors, which equips her with valuable insights as to coordinated responses to address any global issues. Now she is dedicated to making the government policy more effective and supporting international efforts to combat IUU fishing, a major threat to sustainable fisheries and marine environment, in cooperation with national, regional and international stakeholders.

Fisheries Agency of Japan
Fisheries Processing Industries and Marketing Division, Fisheries Policy Planning Department
Director

Hidenori Nakahira

Joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2003. Was involved in legislation and policy making in a wide range of areas, including consumer affairs and safety, rural development, animal husbandry, forestry, and statistics. Has gone on external assignment to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and in 2016 to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government, serving as Director-General of the Fisheries Bureau of the Department of Economy, Trade and Industry for over four years. After that, worked in the Policy Division of the Minister's Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, where he was responsible for planning and drafting basic policies for the entire ministry. Since 2022, has been working on fisheries resource management measures, fisheries distribution regulation, and the like at the Fisheries Agency. Has been in current position since 2023.

Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan
Fisheries Resource Management Section, Coastal and Offshore Fisheries Division
Section chief

Wei-Hsiang Chang

Chang Wei Hsiang graduated from the National Taiwan Ocean University with a master’s degree in Fisheries Science in 2012. He has been working at the Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan, for nine years and currently holds the position of section chief of the Fisheries Resource Management Section.
Wei Hsiang’s team specializes in coastal and offshore fisheries resources management, formulating sustainable regulations for specific species and fishing gears, and implementing fisheries resources restoration and habitat conservation. In 2022, his team was awarded a major project achievement by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sustainability of fisheries resources is their goal, and they continue to promote regulations to achieve sustainable development.

International Labour Organization (ILO)
Project Manager, Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Supply Chains (RISSC)

David Williams

David Williams manages the ILO’s Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Supply Chains (RISSC) project, a regional initiative aimed at improving labour standards and responsible business conduct in key export sectors in Asia.
An economist by training, David has more than 15 years’ experience at the intersection of labour standards and global supply chains, having worked in various countries and in sectors as diverse as apparel, automotives, electronics, and seafood.
Between 2014 and 2018, David was Deputy Programme Manager for Better Work Vietnam, a UN-World Bank initiative supporting working conditions and business competitiveness in the garment sector. Between 2019 and 2022 he also led another regional garment programme, bringing together knowledge, best practices and new innovations to improve supply chain labour outcomes.
David holds an MA in International Politics and Development from the University of Leeds (UK) and BSc in Economics from the University of Birmingham (UK).

AEON TOPVALU CO., LTD.
Product Development Division Seafoods Product Department
General Manager

Shinya Matsuya

Joined Ohgiya JUSCO Co., Ltd. (now Aeon Retail Co., Ltd.) in 1986 and have been working in the product department at various branches since 1993. Has been assigned to the current post in 2019.

Sailors for the Sea Japan Incorporated
Chair and CEO

Minako Iue, PhD.

Minako established Sailors for the Sea Japan as an affiliate of a US marine environmental NGO founded by David Rockefeller, Jr.
She operates programs such as the Blue Sea Food Guide, a sustainable seafood rating program, the Clean Regatta, an environmental standard for marine sports, and KELP, a marine education tool for kids. She received PhD from Kyoto University for Global Environmental Studies. She is a specially appointed researcher at Tokyo University, a specially appointed Associate Professor at RIHN, and the official columnist for Forbes Japan, 25ans and OCEANS.

Culinary Collaborations LLC
Managing Director/CEO

Michael McNicholas

Michael is the founder and CEO of Culinary Collaborations LLC, a company of passionate specialists seeking to enrich society through food.
Japan is CCL’s most important source of seafood ingredients and imports more than $20 million annually.
Michael's unwavering commitment to food safety is evident in his leadership at CCL. Under his guidance, CCL has achieved GFSI certification and MSC/ASC Chain Of Custody certification. His dedication has also inspired their Japan supply chain to GFSI and GSSI certifications, ensuring that the product meets the highest standards of safety and quality recognizable in the North American market.
He serves as Chairman of the Board for the Global Dialog on Seafood Traceability(GDST). He is the Founding Chairman of the National Fishery Institute’s Sushi Council, a pre-competitive organization created in 2023 to address the needs of the fast-growing sushi industry in North America.

Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition
Secretariat

Mandy Wong

Mandy supports the industry-led Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition as the Secretariat and oversees Choose Right Today, a consumer-facing sustainable seafood initiative under the ADM Capital Foundation. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Glasgow and pursued a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of Hong Kong. She is dedicated to promoting seafood sustainability among corporates and the public, and mainstreaming sustainable seafood in local and regional markets.

She also supports marine conservation through market surveys and education. Growing up in Hong Kong, a global seafood trade hub, Mandy has the privilege of accessing a great variety of seafood from different parts of the world. She not only enjoys seafood but also treasures marine life and resources. Mandy believes every person plays an important role in driving seafood sustainability.

Saraya Co., Ltd.
Global Operations Division
Africa Development Office

Kohei Matsuo

Kohei Matsuo graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture and gained practical experience working on a hog farm in Illinois. After returning to Japan, he contributed to quality control assurance at a frozen food manufacturer.
Currently, he works at Saraya Co., Ltd. in the Africa Development Office of the Overseas Business Division, where he is actively involved in promoting fish food in Kenya and other parts of Africa.
His motto is "Normal life is boring!"

MarinTrust
CEO

Francisco Aldon

Francisco has been with MarinTrust, the leading Certification Program for Marine Ingredients, from its early development within IFFO (the marine ingredients organisation), to becoming the CEO of MarinTrust in 2020. With over 15 years of experience in the food sector, specialising in marine ingredients, Francisco has unique expertise in responsible sourcing, sustainable production practices, and digital traceability in the marine ingredient supply chain. This expertise led him to join the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) Supervisory Board, while also contributing to the Technical Committee shaping the GSA Seafood Processing Standard. Since 2014, Francisco has also been focused on fisheries for reduction in South East Asia and Latin America through the MarinTrust Improver Programme, resulting in positive changes at the legislative level of previously struggling fisheries. All of this is part of his overall mission of cementing the future of marine ingredients as vital and sustainable sources of nutrition for the world.
Francisco holds a MSc in Fisheries Engineering from UNALM (Peru) and a MSc in Marine Ecology and Environmental Management from Queen Mary University (London).

FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Aquaculture Business Support & Development Office Marine Electronic Products Division
Head

Shigeru Asaumi

Joined Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. in 1990. Served as a field engineer in technical services, traveling around domestic and international markets. After working in sales and product planning roles, assumed current position in 2021.

Azuma Foods Co.,Ltd.
Sales Division Tokyo branch
Tokyo branch manager

Hisashi Kume

Joined Azuma Foods International Inc., U.S.A in 1998, and after gaining sales experience in the United States, I was transferred to the overseas business department at the Japan headquarters, where I was in charge of the Southeast Asian region. At the beginning of market development, I worked on development from scratch and realized the importance of raw material sources, which are a prerequisite for manufacturing. Currently, I am trying to feed back the overseas sales experience I have cultivated to the domestic market.

YANMAR MARCHÉ Co., LTD.
Fisheries Group, Food solution Divison
Manager

Arata Izawa

Arata Izawa graduated from the Department of Marine Science at the University of the Ryukyus and completed the master's program in Resource Management at the Tokyo University of Fisheries. After working for two seafood trading companies, where he was involved in importing tuna from Pacific Island countries and seafood from Northern Europe, he returned to the Tokyo University of Fisheries to pursue his doctoral studies. He earned a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science for his research on the econometric analysis of tuna supply and demand and international resource management systems.

As the Oceans Lead at WWF Japan, he collaborated with WWF offices worldwide to lead tuna resource management programs and successfully introduced the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification program to Japan.
He later transitioned to the private sector, where he managed MSC and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification auditors and engaged in sustainability consulting for various companies.

In 2011, he joined Yanmar, a company with extensive connections to fishery producers. He led the first pilot assessment for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification (bivalves) in Japan. Following Yanmar's entry into the food distribution business, he became the head of the fisheries division in 2022. He was responsible for formulating seafood procurement policies and led the acquisition of the MSC/ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification. In 2023, he achieved another milestone by being the first in Japan to obtain the standard ASC-MSC Seaweed (Algae) Chain of Custody (CoC) certification for a seaweed production site located outside the typical production areas within the country.

UNEP FI
Special Advisor in the Asia Pacific region

Takejiro Sueyoshi

Sueyoshi graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo in 1967 and joined Mitsubishi Bank (now MUFG Bank). He became NY branch manager in 1994 and was appointed as CEO of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Trust Co. (NY) in 1996. In 1998, he was appointed Deputy President of Nikko Asset Management, and he was named as a member of the UNEP Finance Initiative (FI) Global Steering Committee during his tenure. Since 2002, he has been actively engaged in environmental issues and was instrumental in convening the UNEP FI Tokyo Global Roundtable and the issuance of the Tokyo Declaration. He was appointed as a Special Advisor to UNEP FI in 2003.In 2011, he was also appointed as a Renewable Energy Institute, Vice-Chair of Executive Board.In 2018, he launched the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI), where he serves as Representative(now Co-Representative). He was also appointed Chairperson of WWF Japan in the same year.

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
Sustainable Business Promotion Department
Joint General Manager

Kotaro Sueyoshi

After joining Mizuho Bank, Sueyoshi worked in corporate sales, international business, and domestic corporate business planning before taking on the role of planning sustainable business strategies for corporate clients. In September 2022, he was appointed Joint General Manager of the Sustainable Business Promotion Department.
He also serves as a committee member for GSG Impact JAPAN, an executive member of the Impact-Oriented Finance Initiative, and Vice-Chair of the Data and Metrics Subcommittee of the Impact Consortium, among other roles.

Ethical Association
Representative Director

Rika Sueyoshi

Graduated from the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University. Traveled around the world as a Mystery Hunter for the TBS program "Discovery of the World's Mysteries!" Currently working towards promoting ethical consumption across Japan to help create a sustainable society where ethical living becomes the measure of happiness. Authored several books, including "Introduction to Ethical Living" (Yamakawa Shuppansha), the picture book "Ready or Not? The Nameless Little Monkey’s Ethical Adventure" (Yamakawa Shuppansha) and "Ethical Revolution" (Yamakawa Shuppansha), among others.

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
COO / Vice President

Aiko Yamauchi

After researching fisheries management system and community based management cases in Japan's coastal fisheries, Aiko joined WWF Japan as the Ocean and Fisheries Group Leader. She Joined Seafood Legacy in 2019 and manages the pre-competitive seafood business platform program in collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders.
Aiko also plays the role of the independent coordinator of the "IUU Forum Japan" which is a coalition of Japan based NGOs group.
Aiko holds a doctor’s degree of marine science from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree of fisheries science from Tokyo University of Fisheries.

- Member of the special committee of stock management of Fisheries Policy Council
- Coordinator for Anti- IUU Forum Japan
- Lecturer at Iwate University, Faculty of Agriculture

International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Deputy Director-General for Global Issues

Nobuharu Imanishi

Nobuharu Imanishi joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. Since then, he has served as the Senior Negotiator for Global Environment, Principal Deputy Director of Aid Policy and Management Division, Director of Arms Control and Disarmament Division, Minister of Permanent Mission of Japan in Vienna. He is currently the Deputy Director-General for Global Issues since July 2024.

World Resources Institute
Ocean Program
Global Director

Tom Pickerell

Dr. Tom Pickerell is a marine biologist with over 20 years’ experience in ocean sustainability, including fisheries and aquaculture, climate change impacts and policy development.
Tom has held a variety of roles in the third sector (including at Pew, WWF-UK, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program), has worked in UK government, and led the development of two pre-competitive collaborations working on tuna and pelagic fisheries.
Tom has a degree in Marine Biology, a master’s degree in Analytical Biology, and a Ph.D. in shellfish genetics.

Economist Impact
Editorial director

Charles Goddard

Charles Goddard imagines and builds The Economist Group’s flagship initiatives, the purpose of which is to catalyse progress on key issues of the day. He works closely with partners on themes including ocean health and the sustainable ocean economy, the Anthropocene, global health security, and ageing and longevity. Based in Sydney, Australia Charles was previously editorial director, Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit, director of research in Asia, and managing director of the Economist Corporate Network, a peer network for senior executives. He is concurrently executive director of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Initiative, and Back to Blue, a joint initiative with The Nippon Foundation that is building pathways to zero pollution in the ocean by 2050.

Nikkei ESG, Senior Deputy Editor; Tohoku University, Professor, Green Goals Initiative and Graduate School of Life Sciences

Kaori Fujita

Born in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, Kaori Fujita graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Physics and joined Nikkei Business Publications. She worked as a writer for Nikkei Electronics, a deputy editor for National Geographic Japanese Edition, an editorial committee member for the environmental management magazine Nikkei Ecology, a producer for Nikkei ESG Management Forum and held other positions before becoming a senior editor for the sustainability management magazine Nikkei ESG and a professor of Tohoku University.
Her work has focused on biodiversity, natural capital, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, ESG investment, SDGs, and regional revitalization.
Her publications include "Biodiversity and Nature Positive Management in the ESG and TNFD Era”. She serves as a member of the Central Environmental Council of the Ministry of the Environment, as well as a committee member of Toyama City and Sado City, and a visiting professor at University of Toyama.

Planet Tracker
Head of Oceans team

François Mosnier

François brings 15 years of experience working across finance, nature conservation and sustainable food production. At Planet Tracker, he is in charge of driving change at corporates dependent on or impacting the ocean, using finance as a lever. The ocean team’s research focuses on fishing, aquaculture and deep sea mining, demonstrates the financial materiality of ecosystem health to investors, and advises them on what changes they need to ask companies to protect future returns. Prior to joining Planet Tracker, François was a financial analyst at Exane BNP Paribas and Capital Group, and a conservation finance specialist at Conservation Capital.

Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd.
Responsible Investment Department・Net Zero Strategy Department
Senior ESG Investment Manager

Dai Yamawaki

Dr. Dai Yamawaki is a Senior ESG Investment Manager at the Nomura Asset Management. His main role is to lead an ESG integration approach for Japanese equities, providing in-depth ESG analysis of financial and non-financial information for stock rating and investment decision, as a member of several Stock Selection Committees. He is also serving as an Advisory Committee Member for the PRI Nature Stewardship Initiative.
Dai started his career at the UN FAO through the Young Professional Programme, where he supported the member countries for their green financing responses. Before joining the NAM, he worked on the most recent trend of monetary policy operation for climate change at the Bank of Japan. Dai holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Kyoto University, serving as a Visiting Associate Professor at Hokkaido University since April 2024. Dai is also a CFA charterholder.

Mizuho Financial Group・Mizuho Bank
Sustainable Products Promotion Department
General Manager

Yuko Hirano

Joined Mizuho Bank in 1999 and was responsible for sales for small- and medium-sized corporations at a branch, and subsequently moved on to work on commissioned surveys and research at Mizuho Research & Technologies, Inc. Has been responsible for CSR promotion at Mizuho Financial Group since 2009. Following the establishment of the Sustainability Promotion Office in the Strategic Planning Department in 2018, has been engaged in formulating and promoting Mizuho's sustainability strategies and policies. Following the establishment of the Sustainability Planning Department in September 2022, has been responsible for promoting initiatives on themes related to sustainability, such as climate change response, natural capital conservation, and respect for human rights. Appointed General Manager of Sustainable Products Promotion Department, Mizuho Bank, Mizuho Financial Group, in April 2024.

Thai Union Group PCL
Managing Director – Group Treasurer

Yongyut Setthawiwat

Almost 30 years' experience in Treasury and Corporate Finance filed with outstanding track records and effective interaction in a multi-national working environment across overseas subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, and USA. Strong professional skills with in-depth understanding of Treasury and Corporate Finance and board understanding of related topics i.e. accounting, legal aspects, rules and regulations, international tax, insurance, etc. Set up global treasury center in Thailand to manage all treasury functions with regional center team in EU and US. This includes global cash pool, in-house banking, financial risk management, centralized financing, etc. Initiated Blue Finance at Thai Union to move to 100% Sustainable Finance for all long-term financing by 2030.

Nikkei ESG, Senior Deputy Editor; Tohoku University, Professor, Green Goals Initiative and Graduate School of Life Sciences

Kaori Fujita

Born in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, Kaori Fujita graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Physics and joined Nikkei Business Publications. She worked as a writer for Nikkei Electronics, a deputy editor for National Geographic Japanese Edition, an editorial committee member for the environmental management magazine Nikkei Ecology, a producer for Nikkei ESG Management Forum and held other positions before becoming a senior editor for the sustainability management magazine Nikkei ESG and a professor of Tohoku University.
Her work has focused on biodiversity, natural capital, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, ESG investment, SDGs, and regional revitalization.
Her publications include "Biodiversity and Nature Positive Management in the ESG and TNFD Era”. She serves as a member of the Central Environmental Council of the Ministry of the Environment, as well as a committee member of Toyama City and Sado City, and a visiting professor at University of Toyama.

WWF Japan (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan)
Nature Conservation Division
Oceans and Fisheries Group Leader

Satoshi Maekawa

Satoshi Maekawa is in charge of promotion of sustainable fishery and aquaculture since 2011, after works for coordinator of national census and international conservation program of migratory waterbirds, for environmental survey and education program at WWF coral reef research and conservation center, and for review of status and management of MPA. Recently he works for promotion of corporate responsible sourcing of seafood and blue finance.

PRI
Japan
Senior Lead

Michiyo Morisawa

After working on inter-bank settlement risk reduction projects at Citibank and other institutions, Michiyo Morisawa began research into environmental science. With the global expansion of the CDP in 2005, she took part in the organization as the manager in charge of Japan, and until February 2023 worked as Japan Director to promote companies' environmental initiatives and information disclosure. In 2010, when PRI founded the Japan Network, she concurrently served as the director of CDP Japan and participated as the Japan Head responsible for Japan before becoming Senior Lead in 2022.
Doctor of Environment Science, Doctoral Program, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo

JINENN Co., Ltd.
President

Yasuaki Miyamoto

Received M.S. in Physics and Applied Physics from Waseda University in 1991, joined Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (now FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.) in 2007, engaged in CSR and environmental management since 2007, and concurrently engaged in ESG management at FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation since 2018. Involved in the Convention on Biological Diversity since 2009 and participated in discussions on marine ecosystem conservation, etc. at COP and subsidiary organizations meetings. Established JINENN Co., Ltd. in 2023 to provide advisory services on environmental issues with a focus on biodiversity and nature.

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Finance Department
General Manager

Hiroshi Yamazaki

Joined Taiyo Fishery Co., Ltd. (now Maruha Nichiro Corporation) in 1991. Including overseas assignments in the UK and Spain, spent most of the career in the marine products trading division, engaging in the procurement and sales of raw material of seafood as well as processed seafood from around the world. Assigned to handle finance from 2022.

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Sustainability Group/Sustainable Marine Resources Office, Corporate Planning Department
Group Manager/Acting General Manager

Yusuke Sato

In 1994, joined Maruha Corporation (now Maruha Nichiro Co., Ltd.), worked for 15 years in the Overseas Operations Department, managing a shrimp fishing and aquaculture joint venture company in Madagascar, as well as import/export and shrimp sales operations. Has been in charge of quality assurance and quality control of the Maruha Nichiro Group since 2009, mainly in the Marine Products Division, and has been in charge of quality and sanitation control and auditing of manufacturing plants in the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Department. Has been in charge of sustainability since April 2020.

Rikkyo University
Social Design Studies
Specially Appointed Professor

Mariko Kawaguchi

After completing the Master's program at Hitotsubashi University Graduate School, Mariko Kawaguchi joined Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., where she has held positions including head of the CSR office in the Daiwa Securities Group main office and chief researcher at Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. She has held her current position since April 2020. For over 20 years, she has been engaged in survey research and counseling regarding sustainability overall from the standpoints of corporations (CSR), investors (ESG investment), and consumers (ethical consumption). In her current position, she is involved in sustainability education as well as food sustainability as an ESG advisor to the Fuji Oil Group. She has also served as an advisor on the Asset Management One Sustainability Advisory Board from September 2021 and as an outside director of Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. from June 2024.

LINE Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! JAPAN SDGs Editor-in-Chief
Fisherman Japan Co-Founder

Takuya Hasegawa

Born on March 11, 1977.
The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on his birthday, prompting him to establish the Yahoo! Ishinomaki Reconstruction Base and move to Ishinomaki.
He was involved in launching "Reconstruction Department (now Aile Market)," an online store selling agricultural products, seafood, and traditional crafts from the disaster-stricken area, and in founding the Fisherman Japan collective, which aims to transform the fishing industry into a ""cool, profitable, and innovative"" new 3K industry, transcending regions and professions.
Currently, at LINE Yahoo!, he is in charge of the "Regional Carbon Neutral Promotion Project," which supports local decarbonization efforts, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the SDGs-focused web media "Yahoo! JAPAN SDGs."
He is also working on expanding the know-how of Fisherman Japan nationwide.

Nissui Corporation
Specific Channels Marketing Department 1 National Account Sales Section 1
Manager

Kazuma Yamachi

Joined Nichimo Co., Ltd. in 2004. Mainly handled co-ops, GMS, and CVS as a salesperson for frozen processed seafoods. Joined the (then) Co-op Sales Department of Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. (currently Nissui Corporation) in 2011. Engaged in the planning, development, and sales of frozen processed food products and private brand products, mainly using seafood ingredients, specializing in co-op business. In recent years, has been working on initiatives with clients, with strengthening the development of new "ethical certified" products as a key theme. Starting in 2024, will serve as sales manager for the GMS Fresh Fish/Seafood Department and CVS.

SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN CO.,LTD.
Products Division, Rice & Noodles Department
Chief Merchandiser

Kohei Yagita

Joined Seven-Eleven Japan in 2005. After working as a store management consultant, transitioned to the product department in 2013. Responsible for procuring seafood raw materials and managing environmental measures within the product division. In 2021, appointed as the sub-leader of the Plastic Countermeasure Subcommittee for the Environmental Committee at Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. Currently serves as the Chief Merchandiser for the core product categories of rice and noodles.

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
CEO and founder

Jim Cannon

Jim Cannon is CEO and founder of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. He has worked on fishery, forestry, and conservation issues with diverse communities in Asia, Europe, and the Americas for more than three decades.
Jim was a pioneer in working with companies to drive change through their seafood supply chains, beginning with McDonald’s in 2002 and Walmart in 2004. In 2006, Jim founded SFP to scale-up the impact of these fisheries improvement efforts. Today, the model for fisheries conservation that Jim and the SFP team created is the standard approach to seafood sustainability by seafood companies around the world. Before starting SFP, Jim edited the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Review of Marine Fisheries in the late 1990s and worked at Conservation International from 1997 to 2006, where he headed the economics program and then the policy center. He served on the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC’s) Technical Advisory Board from 2005 to 2008 and was named Intrafish’s “Person of the Year” in 2009. He studied ecology at Cambridge University, and renewable resources management and fisheries economics at Imperial College, London.
Jim is passionate about seafood and driven by a desire to take improvement to scale, getting people to adopt solutions and create the biggest impact possible. Looking toward 2030, SFP is working to address some of the most challenging issues in seafood sustainability, including reducing bycatch of endangered, threatened, and protected species; promoting effective co-management in small-scale fisheries; reducing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and supporting ecosystem-level aquaculture management to conserve and regenerate habitat.

Ocean Outcomes
Asia Fisheries Director

Jeremy Crawford

Jeremy serves Ocean Outcomes as their Asia Fisheries Director. His extensive background in the seafood industry is shaped by his family’s +40 year involvement in the sector. For the past 15-years, he’s held leadership roles in both industry and non-profit organizations throughout Asia. Jeremy has led numerous supply chain enhancement initiatives focusing on food safety, human rights, IUU mitigation, environmental performance, and fisheries policy. His achievements include launching over a dozen FIPs, transitioning eight fisheries to MSC certification, and supporting pole-and-line fisheries to attain Fair Trade certification. He’s championed fisheries technological innovations that include connectivity and worker voice at-sea for migrant workers in Thailand, off-grid solar-powered ice makers in rural Indonesia, and wireless electronic monitoring systems with edge-AI computing in distant-water fisheries. Jeremy has been a proponent for empowering supply chain actors in the region while fostering collaborative efforts among stakeholders to ensure viable fisheries now and in the future.

Environmental Defense Fund Japan
Climate Resilient Fisheries and Oceans, Japan
Senior Manager

Fenjie Chen

As the Senior Manager and on-the-ground representative for the EDF Japan Ocean and Fisheries team, Fenjie works with NGOs, government agencies, fishery stakeholders, and research institutes to identify and overcome challenges to the implementation of sustainable fisheries and fisheries reform in Japan. In addition, he partners with local fisheries stakeholders directly to build climate-resilient fisheries management through fostering transboundary dialogues, enhancing scientific understanding, especially at the ground level, and applying local and international lessons and best practices. Fenjie provides day-to-day supervision of the EDF Japan Ocean and Fisheries work and maintains close communication between EDF Japan and the US. Before joining EDF Japan, Fenjie worked for Ocean Outcomes (O2) for more than five years, focusing on fisheries improvement and seafood sustainability evaluations in North Asia (mainly China, Taiwan, and Japan). Fenjie is also a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accredited technician and auditor.

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
Founder/CEO

Wakao Hanaoka

Wakao majored in Marine Environmental Studies and Marine Biology at a university in Florida. After graduation, he worked in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia, then spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at Greenpeace Japan in 2007.
He founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the position of CEO. With the purpose of "passing on the abundance of seafood, which symbolizes the connection between nature, society, and the economy of the sea, to future generations (legacy)," he is working on a system shift by connecting diverse stakeholders in the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and media to make seafood products that pursue environmental sustainability and social responsibility mainstream in the distribution of seafood in the Asian region.
Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021-), Director, Global Fisheries Transparency Coalition (2022-),
Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017-),
Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency (2018-).

Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
President of Yorozu Fisheries Advisory Office afc.masa

Masanori Miyahara

He worked for the Fisheries Agency for 37 years until 2014, followed by 7 years as President of the Fisheries Research and Education Organization, leaving in 2021.
In his late 20s, he studied at Duke University in the U.S. and was involved in many international negotiations, especially chairing international conferences related to bluefin tuna. He is currently the chair of the Northern Committee for Pacific Bluefin Tuna of the Midwest Pacific Tuna Conservation Commission. He also served as the leader of the Fisheries Agency's recovery team from the Great East Japan Earthquake, covering everything from rescue activities to the restoration of the fisheries industry.
Currently, as the president of afc.masa, he travels around Japan and abroad to provide consultation on various issues related to the seafood industry.

Intelligence Group, Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.
Head of Intelligence Group

Yasuhiro Kawai

His first career at Nikkei BP was an ICT media reporter. After editor-in-chief of Nikkei Communication he became a senior researcher at Cleantech Lab in 2013. In addition to smart city-related projects, he was involved in the planning and management of research groups aimed at creating new businesses, as well as the planning and writing of specialized research reports. He led media projects in collaboration with client companies, such as “Designing for the Future Society” and “DIGITALIST". After serving as director of the Cleantech Lab and head of the technology media (Nikkei xTech) unit, he assumed his current position in April 2024.

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
Founder/CEO

Wakao Hanaoka

Wakao majored in Marine Environmental Studies and Marine Biology at a university in Florida. After graduation, he worked in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia, then spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at Greenpeace Japan in 2007.
He founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the position of CEO. With the purpose of "passing on the abundance of seafood, which symbolizes the connection between nature, society, and the economy of the sea, to future generations (legacy)," he is working on a system shift by connecting diverse stakeholders in the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and media to make seafood products that pursue environmental sustainability and social responsibility mainstream in the distribution of seafood in the Asian region.
Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021-), Director, Global Fisheries Transparency Coalition (2022-),
Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017-),
Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency (2018-).