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 engaged in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia. In 2007, he spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at the Japan office of an international environmental NGO.
After becoming independent, he founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO. With the aim of passing on an abundance of seafood, a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, economy, and society, to the next generation (legacy), he has been leading a system change to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in the seafood distribution of the Asian region.
In 2019, he received the SeaWeb Seafood Champion Award for Leadership. With his visionary leadership and ability to connect diverse stakeholders, including the seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and the media, he is recognized as an innovative leader in the Asian seafood sector.

- Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017 to present)
- Advisory Board Member, G1 Marine Environment Study Group (2018 to present)
- Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021 to present)
- Board Member, Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (2022 to present)
- Board Member, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (2023 to present)
- Expert Committee Member and Chair of the Fisheries Subcommittee, NIKKEI Blue Ocean Forum (2023 to present)
- Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2018 to present)
- Member, Working Group for Promoting Proper Seafood Distribution, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2024)
among other roles

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. He visited the Blue Ocean Dome at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and learned about the importance of the ocean.

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

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, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Japanese edition, Editorial Board Member of Nikkei Ecology, Producer of the Nikkei ESG Management Forum, and Senior Deputy Editor of Nikkei ESG. Specializes in biodiversity, natural capital, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, ESG investing, and regional revitalization.
As a professor at Tohoku University, she serves as Deputy Director of the “Nature Positive Sustainable Development Hub.” She is a member of the Central Environment Council of the Ministry of the Environment, a board member of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), and co-chair of the Nikkei Blue Ocean Forum. Her recent publications include “Biodiversity and Nature-Positive Management in the ESG and TNFD Era.”

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 rule in 2021 and 2024.

Dignity in Work for All
Senior Legal and Policy Advisor

William Gutierrez Ragamat

William is a licensed lawyer, policy consultant, and certified social compliance auditor/assessor with over 20 years of combined professional work experience, including university teaching and journalism work. He has worked in both the public and private sectors, providing technical assistance to the Philippine Department of Finance on legal and regulatory requirements pursuant to anti-corruption initiatives; and the Government Procurement Policy Board - Technical Support Office managing one of its divisions, and providing legal and technical assistance to public and private stakeholders in procurement law.

He has been involved with international labor rights organization Dignity in Work for All (DIWA; formerly known as Verité Southeast Asia or VSEA) since 2003. He currently serves as DIWA’s Senior Legal and Policy Advisor, and leads audits and assessments in seafood and agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, service and hospitality, and other industries globally. He is one of DIWA’s senior training facilitators, providing training to private and government stakeholders on compliance with regulatory and international best practice standards in supply chain management in Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and other regions. He has contributed to published reports and resources on forced labor and trafficking.

He is a candidate for Master of Laws in International Commercial Law and Practice from the University of Edinburgh. He completed his Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of the Philippines, where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

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).

Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Republic of Maldives
Fisheries and Ocean Resources Management
Director General

Hussain Sinan

Sinan has represented the Maldives at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) for the past seven years and held key leadership roles, including Chair of the IOTC Standing Committee on Administration and Finance, Co-Chair of the G16 Coastal States Group, and Chair of the Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC). He has been actively involved in multiple Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and Regional Fisheries Bodies (RFBs), serving as the Maldives' lead negotiator in the BBNJ Agreement negotiations. Sinan completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Dalhousie University through the Nippon Foundation – Ocean Nexus Programme, focusing on strengthening RFMOs, particularly in the Indian Ocean. Most recently, he chaired the performance review panels for both the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) and the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). He is currently working on publishing a book on the next generation of RFMOs with UBC Press.

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.

University of Wollongong
Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS)
Professor / Fisheries Governance Program Leader

Quentin Hanich

Professor Quentin Hanich leads the Fisheries Governance Research Program at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, where he is a Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Chair. Prof.

Hanich has worked widely throughout the Indo-Pacific region in various international research partnerships focusing on ocean governance and emerging technologies, marine conservation, fisheries management and development. He has chaired international committees and working groups, facilitated inter-governmental workshops, and advised Ministerial meetings and national delegations.

In addition to his roles at the University of Wollongong, Prof. Hanich is the Chair of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) Technical Committee on Allocation Criteria, a Principal Investigator in the Nippon Foundation funded Ocean Nexus Program, a research partner with the Japanese Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Korean Maritime Institute, Global Fishing Watch, and the Solomon Islands National University.

Fisherman Japan Marketing Co.,Ltd.
CEO

Yuki Tsuda

Originally the second-generation operator of a wholesale seafood business in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Yuki co-founded the Fisherman Japan General Incorporated Association with local fishermen in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Currently, the sales division has been spun off as Fisherman Japan Marketing Co., Ltd., where he leads efforts to expand sales channels both domestically and internationally and to support fishing communities across Japan.

In parallel, he actively promotes sustainable seafood through public awareness initiatives, impact investing via the FJ Blue Fund, and efforts focused on marine conservation, the elimination of IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, and the promotion of seafood resource management. He also organizes the "Suisan Summit" alongside passionate fishermen and stakeholders nationwide, aiming to amplify voices from the field and engage in policy advocacy at the national level.

UMINEKO Sustainability Institute
Representative

Makoto Kumei

Originally from Sapporo, Hokkaido. Worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2002 to 2013. After leaving the ministry, engaged in consulting related to agribusiness and environmental policy in the private sector. Founded UMINEKO Sustainability Institute in 2021, where he hosts forums aimed at the recovery of marine resources and the promotion of sustainable fisheries.

Most recently, has served as the secretariat of Chatham Fish, a platform where a wide range of fisheries-related stakeholders engage in cross-organizational discussions. In this role, he has been compiling necessary measures in the fisheries sector in response to the rapidly changing marine environment.

FURUNO ELECTRIC CO.,LTD.
Marine Electric Products Division
DX Business Department Fishry DX Section
Manager

Takuto Hazama

I joined Furuno Electric in 2010 and have been engaged in research and development of marine radios and fish finders for fishing vessels. While developing fish finders, I focused on utilizing acoustic data not only during operations but also for post-operation reviews, training of successors, and enhancing information sharing within fishing fleets. Currently, I am working on planning, PoC, and development of data-driven solutions that contribute to the advancement of the fisheries industry, including the use of data beyond fish finders for marine environment forecasting and fishery resource estimation.

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 engaged in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia. In 2007, he spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at the Japan office of an international environmental NGO.
After becoming independent, he founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO. With the aim of passing on an abundance of seafood, a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, economy, and society, to the next generation (legacy), he has been leading a system change to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in the seafood distribution of the Asian region.
In 2019, he received the SeaWeb Seafood Champion Award for Leadership. With his visionary leadership and ability to connect diverse stakeholders, including the seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and the media, he is recognized as an innovative leader in the Asian seafood sector.

- Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017 to present)
- Advisory Board Member, G1 Marine Environment Study Group (2018 to present)
- Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021 to present)
- Board Member, Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (2022 to present)
- Board Member, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (2023 to present)
- Expert Committee Member and Chair of the Fisheries Subcommittee, NIKKEI Blue Ocean Forum (2023 to present)
- Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2018 to present)
- Member, Working Group for Promoting Proper Seafood Distribution, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2024)
among other roles

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.

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
Sustainable Business Promotion Department
Advisor to Group Chief Sustainability Officer (Sustainability & Impact)

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.

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

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, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Japanese edition, Editorial Board Member of Nikkei Ecology, Producer of the Nikkei ESG Management Forum, and Senior Deputy Editor of Nikkei ESG. Specializes in biodiversity, natural capital, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, ESG investing, and regional revitalization.
As a professor at Tohoku University, she serves as Deputy Director of the “Nature Positive Sustainable Development Hub.” She is a member of the Central Environment Council of the Ministry of the Environment, a board member of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), and co-chair of the Nikkei Blue Ocean Forum. Her recent publications include “Biodiversity and Nature-Positive Management in the ESG and TNFD Era.”

Japan Fisheries Association
Senior Executive Managing Director

Miwako Takase

Joined Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1984 and had worked as a fisheries Specialist in the Fisheries Agency, served as Director of the Resources and Environment Research Division, Director of the Research and Technological Guidance Division, at Resources Enhancement Promotion Department, Councillor of the Resources Management Department (Director-General for International Fisheries), retiring from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2023 and assuming current position in November 2023.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)
Market Development
Commercial Director Europe & Asia-Pacific

Barbara Janker

Barbara Janker currently holds the position as Commercial Director Europe & Asia-Pacific at the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) after having worked in several roles both in the market development department as well as the marketing & communications team since her start at ASC in 2015.She is passionate about finding collaborative solutions for the essential challenges around farmed seafood supply chains.
Born in Austria, Barbara first studied journalism and marketing at the University of Vienna and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Warwick Business School (UK) with a focus on CSR and sustainability. After positions in marketing and PR in the private sector and in consulting, she joined the NGO world more than 15 years ago. Prior to the ASC, Barbara worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature WWF for five years. She initially coordinated the area of corporate partnerships in Eastern Europe before setting up the topic of “Sustainable Food” for WWF Austria. She was also seconded to Thailand to support the local team in their market transformation work.

MarinTrust
CEO

Francisco Aldon

Francisco has worked for MarinTrust, the leading certification programme for marine ingredients, since its early development within IFFO (The Marine Ingredients Organisation). He became the CEO of MarinTrust in 2020. With over 15 years experience in the food sector, specialising in marine ingredients, Francisco has a unique understanding of responsible sourcing, sustainable production practices, and digital traceability in the marine ingredient supply chain. This expertise has led to him joining various boards and committees, including the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) Supervisory Board and the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) Steering Board. He also contributes to the Technical Committee which is shaping the GSA Seafood Processing Standard. Since 2014, Francisco has worked with fisheries across Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East through the MarinTrust Improver Programme – driving positive legislative changes in previously struggling fisheries. All of this is part of his broader mission to secure the future of marine ingredients as vital and sustainable sources of nutrition for the world.
Francisco holds a degree in Fisheries Engineering from UNALM (Peru) and a MSc in Marine Ecology and Environmental Management from Queen Mary University (London).

Qingdao Marine Conservation Society
Founder and President

Songlin Wang

Songlin Wang is a marine conservationist with over 20 years of experience advancing sustainable fisheries, responsible aquaculture, and marine habitat restoration in China. He has led major programs for The Nature Conservancy, WWF, the Paulson Institute, and Ocean Outcomes. In 2017, he founded the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS), a leading Chinese NGO that engages stakeholders across sectors to promote ocean conservation and align China’s Responsible Seafood Movement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Wang holds degrees from Ocean University of China and Yale University. He is a 2021 Pew Marine Fellow, a member of Friends of Ocean Action, and serves on the board of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions.

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.

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 engaged in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia. In 2007, he spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at the Japan office of an international environmental NGO.
After becoming independent, he founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO. With the aim of passing on an abundance of seafood, a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, economy, and society, to the next generation (legacy), he has been leading a system change to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in the seafood distribution of the Asian region.
In 2019, he received the SeaWeb Seafood Champion Award for Leadership. With his visionary leadership and ability to connect diverse stakeholders, including the seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and the media, he is recognized as an innovative leader in the Asian seafood sector.

- Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017 to present)
- Advisory Board Member, G1 Marine Environment Study Group (2018 to present)
- Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021 to present)
- Board Member, Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (2022 to present)
- Board Member, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (2023 to present)
- Expert Committee Member and Chair of the Fisheries Subcommittee, NIKKEI Blue Ocean Forum (2023 to present)
- Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2018 to present)
- Member, Working Group for Promoting Proper Seafood Distribution, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2024)
among other roles

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 engaged in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia. In 2007, he spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at the Japan office of an international environmental NGO.
After becoming independent, he founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO. With the aim of passing on an abundance of seafood, a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, economy, and society, to the next generation (legacy), he has been leading a system change to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in the seafood distribution of the Asian region.
In 2019, he received the SeaWeb Seafood Champion Award for Leadership. With his visionary leadership and ability to connect diverse stakeholders, including the seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, NGOs, academia, and the media, he is recognized as an innovative leader in the Asian seafood sector.

- Member, IUU Forum Japan (2017 to present)
- Advisory Board Member, G1 Marine Environment Study Group (2018 to present)
- Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum (2021 to present)
- Board Member, Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (2022 to present)
- Board Member, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (2023 to present)
- Expert Committee Member and Chair of the Fisheries Subcommittee, NIKKEI Blue Ocean Forum (2023 to present)
- Member, Pacific Wide Area Fisheries Coordination Committee, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2018 to present)
- Member, Working Group for Promoting Proper Seafood Distribution, Fisheries Agency of Japan (2024)
among other roles