The new processing facility, located in Cox’s Bazar, will employ around 500 workers. The plant is expected to process up to 1,000 tonnes of scallops monthly, exporting approximately 200 tonnes of scallop meat to markets in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. This move is part of Japan Delica’s strategy to diversify its seafood export destinations amid China’s recent ban on Japanese marine products following the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Japan Delica, a subsidiary of Japan Food Service Co. based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, aims to achieve annual sales of 8 billion Japanese yen ( which is approximately USD 55.54 million) within three years. This is the first time Japanese scallops, particularly those from Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture, will be processed in Bangladesh for global distribution.

The Japanese government is also supporting the establishment of new processing facilities for Japanese scallops in countries like Vietnam and Mexico to reduce dependency on the Chinese market. Currently, around 350 Japanese companies operate in Bangladesh, with investments exceeding $380 million.

This development underscores the strengthening economic ties between Japan and Bangladesh, with 85% of Japanese companies in Bangladesh advocating for an economic partnership agreement (EPA) to further enhance trade and investment. Bangladesh’s exports to Japan, including fish, leather goods, and readymade garments, were valued at $1.9 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. The consistent growth in exports to Japan highlights the rising standards of Bangladeshi products in global markets.

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Off the Aegean Sea coast in the province of Izmir, the harvesting of fattened bluefin tuna is a thriving industry. Divers armed with electric harpoons work in farming pens, ensuring a steady supply of tuna that are well-suited to Japanese consumers’ tastes, thanks to a natural diet rich in sardines and mackerel.

While Japan remains the primary market, there’s a growing demand for Turkish tuna in China. Even with the impressive export figures, there’s a realization that this upward trajectory cannot be sustained indefinitely. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) imposes quotas on countries fishing in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, impacting Turkey’s annual catch, currently set at 2,600 tonnes.

This quota is notably smaller than that of the European Union, where rivals like Spain and Malta enjoy a more substantial allocation. Turkey, being a relatively new ICCAT member, faces challenges in influencing these quotas despite its extensive coastline.

To overcome this limitation, Turkish tuna farmers are exploring opportunities beyond their borders. Group Sagun, the country’s leading tuna farming company, has initiated overseas farming in Tunisia, collaborating with local partners. This strategic move aims to secure a larger quota for Turkey and ensure sustainable growth.

Despite the industry’s resilience, the 2023 season presented challenges. Excessive stocks of bluefin tuna from the previous year in Japan led to a significant drop in sale prices. Additionally, the weakened yen affected the purchasing power of Japanese clients. Rising costs for fuel and personnel in Turkey, compounded by a 65% inflation rate in the previous year, added to the complexities faced by Turkish tuna exporters.

Despite these hurdles, Turkish exporters remain hopeful for improved market conditions and better prices in the upcoming year. The industry’s ability to navigate these challenges underscores its adaptability and determination to sustain growth in the competitive global tuna market.

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According to a recent Reuters report, the U.S. government is actively exploring methods to mitigate the adverse effects of China’s seafood ban on Japanese seafood. This embargo has had severe repercussions on Japan’s seafood sector, particularly impacting scallop producers. In an effort to assist seafood producers affected by declining exports and prices, TEPCO has pledged to provide compensation.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel revealed that this initiative will involve a long-term partnership between the U.S. armed forces and Japanese fisheries and cooperatives. Furthermore, this action aligns with the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers’ call for countries to lift restrictions on Japanese aquatic products. Following a trade ministers’ meeting in Osaka-Sakai, Japan, the G7 nations and Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yoko Kamikawa, jointly advocated for a “calm response based on scientific evidence” when it comes to trade bans on Japanese seafood.

Both Japan and the United Nations nuclear watchdog have attested to the complete safety of the water released from the Fukushima nuclear facility. Japanese officials even publicly consumed seafood from the region as a testament to their confidence in the wastewater testing during the Seafood Expo Asia held in Singapore shortly after the ban was announced. Japanese companies expressed their trust in the government and the testing procedures during this event.

As reported by Asahi Shimbun in late September, the U.S. is actively exploring more direct ways to support Japan’s seafood industry, with Emanuel characterizing China’s ban as an act of economic coercion. He emphasized that the most effective strategy in countering China’s economic pressure has been to offer assistance to the targeted country or industry.

Conversely, China has described the G7’s calls for the resumption of trade as “economic coercion.” The initial purchase by the U.S. military, as per Reuters, will consist of just under a metric ton of Hokkaido scallops, which is a far cry from the significant volume of scallops typically exported to China annually from the region. In 2023, Japan’s total scallop exports reached a record high of JPY 91 billion (USD 610 million, EUR 574 million), with 51.3% of that value originating from China.

Hokkaido’s seafood industry has been particularly hard-hit by China’s embargo on Japanese seafood, despite most of its seafood being sourced from areas far north of the wastewater release site. Emanuel has expressed the intention to expand these seafood purchases to encompass various types of seafood from Japan over time, highlighting that the U.S. military had not previously sourced local seafood in Japan. This move underscores the commitment to strengthen the ties between the U.S. and Japan in the face of these economic challenges.

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This issue first gained global attention when Japan initiated the release of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in August. Tokyo has consistently defended this move, claiming it to be safe. However, it faced severe criticism from China, which promptly responded by banning all seafood imports from Japan. This marked the beginning of a series of international actions and reactions.

Russia’s agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced on Monday that it was imposing restrictions on seafood import from Japan as a “precautionary measure.” These restrictions will remain in place until comprehensive information can assure the safety of the seafood in question.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries swiftly responded to Russia’s ban, expressing that it had “no scientific basis, is unjust and regrettable.” They have called for the ban to be lifted and remain committed to providing scientific evidence to prove the safety of their seafood.

In a statement released earlier, Japan’s foreign ministry noted that it had shared additional information with Russia by October 15th. Furthermore, it pledged to continue transparently providing explanations based on scientific evidence while cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Japan has sought to address Russia’s concerns by explaining its inspection methods for radioactive materials, including tritium, in aquatic products. They have also emphasized the safety of Japanese aquatic products, backed by scientific evidence.

In the pursuit of transparency and international cooperation, the IAEA Marine Environmental Laboratories will conduct an inspection of the Fukushima water release from October 16th to 23rd. Independent third-party laboratories from Canada, China, and South Korea are set to participate in this year’s monitoring, which signifies a multilateral effort to ensure the safety of the Pacific Ocean.

Russia’s decision to restrict on seafood import from Japan is significant due to the proximity of the two nations’ fishing waters. The far eastern regions of Russia, where a substantial portion of their fish and seafood is caught, are relatively close to Japan. In the first nine months of this year, Russia imported 118 metric tonnes of fish and seafood from Japan, according to Rosselkhoznadzor.

Japan, on the other hand, is a major export market for Russian seafood, standing alongside China and South Korea. These developments have sparked concerns among stakeholders in the seafood industry, as the restrictions could impact the global seafood trade landscape.

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In August 2023, Japan started putting some of the Fukushima water that had been piling up at the plant into the Pacific Ocean. They had stored this water since 2011 when a big tsunami damaged the plant. China got angry and banned all Japanese seafood imports, and they kept this ban even though Japan said it was safe.

Russia, who doesn’t have a great relationship with Japan, is thinking about doing the same seafood ban. In the first release, they let out about 7,800 tonnes of water, but there’s still a lot more to go—like filling over 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Japan says they cleaned the water to remove harmful stuff, except for tritium, which is safe in small amounts. The United Nations agrees with Japan on this.

China says Japan is treating the sea like a garbage dump, and they got support from the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands at the United Nations.

The big plan here is to make room for removing the dangerous radioactive materials from the damaged reactors. Japan says they will keep an eye on the tritium levels and share scientific information with the public.

Even though China said no to Japanese seafood, there are reports that Chinese fishing boats are still catching fish in the same areas where Japanese boats work. The US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, shared pictures of Chinese boats doing this.

As Japan moves ahead with its plan to release more Fukushima wastewater, it faces criticism from other countries and a challenge to make sure it’s not harming the environment. This decision will have a lasting impact on Japan’s relations with its neighbors and how it deals with the Fukushima nuclear disaster’s aftermath.

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Kishida expressed his commitment to devising these measures, taking into account the various viewpoints he had gathered from the fishing industry during his visit. The requested support encompasses assistance for fishing companies in exploring new sales opportunities and engaging in discussions with China.

The ban imposed by China on Japanese seafood products came as a response to Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. This ban has had significant repercussions on Japan’s fishing industry, as China is its largest trading partner.

To alleviate the industry’s challenges, the Tokyo government has established two funds, totaling 80 billion yen (equivalent to US $548 million), with the aim of developing new sales channels and storing surplus fish until demand rebounds, among other initiatives. Earlier, officials had denied the possibility of implementing additional fiscal measures to support the industry.

In 2022, over 700 Japanese companies exported approximately $600 million worth of aquatic products to China, making it the largest market for Japanese exports in this category, with Hong Kong following suit by announcing its ban on seafood imports from ten Japanese regions in response to the Fukushima incident.

Japan’s Fisheries Minister, Tetsuro Nomura, disclosed plans to diversify Japan’s fish exports, particularly for products heavily dependent on the Chinese market, such as scallops. In 2022, more than half of Japan’s scallop exports were directed to China.

Additionally, some Japanese officials have indicated the possibility of diplomatic actions to urge China to lift the ban, asserting that it lacks a scientific basis. This could include filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe, the General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), commented on China’s import ban, emphasizing its psychological impact. Despite the absence of scientific evidence confirming that the treated wastewater from Japan’s nuclear facilities poses a threat to human health, the Chinese public might exhibit reluctance in consuming seafood, even domestically caught, from areas near Japan. Consequently, China’s demand for imported seafood, including from nations like Vietnam, could decrease due to this apprehension. The cautious sentiment extends to South Korea as well, where consumers are hesitant to consume locally caught seafood in proximity to Japan’s wastewater discharge zones.

The repercussions of Japan’s actions are reflected in reduced or ban on seafood imports from Japan by both China and Korea. These countries are compelled by market dynamics to seek alternative sources for their seafood supply, potentially turning to nations like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Given China’s substantial population, any disruption in seafood supply prompts a shift to alternative sourcing, opening up a favorable opportunity for Vietnam to emerge as a prominent seafood supplier in the region, capitalizing on China’s suspension of Japanese seafood imports.

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In order to accomplish this objective, the North African Kingdom intends to benefit from Japan’s advanced knowledge of aquaculture and scientific research in this field.

Morocco’s fishing industry accounts for 2.84% of the country’s total exports, making it a major foreign exchange earner. The industry has played a significant role in the economy of the country for a long time. There are approximately 1,084,638 tons of fish caught in the kingdom, making it one of the largest fish markets in Africa.

The Moroccan aquaculture industry dates back to 1950 when the Oyster farming industry was launched in the Oualidia lagoon. On the Mediterranean coast, intensive farms were established in 1985 in Nador and M’diq. It was primarily focused on the production of European sea bass, Gilt-headed bream, and oysters.

There was an introduction of shrimp farming at Moulouya River 10 years later, while shellfish farming at Dakhla Bay began in 2000. During the period under review, the sector gained momentum thanks to the Halieutis plan, which was implemented to increase performance and production in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Earlier in 2022, the EU launched a £250,000 project designed to significantly expand Morocco’s aquaculture industry and create 4,000 new jobs. The new project seeks to rectify the fact that Morocco had less than 2,000 tonnes of aquaculture output in that period despite having over 3,500 kilometers of coastline.

This time, however, Japan and Morocco have agreed upon a three-year program of cooperation, which will begin in 2023, as stipulated in the fisheries agreement signed between Morocco and Japan in September 1985. It has been over 40 years since Morocco and Japan cooperation in maritime fisheries began, focusing primarily on aquaculture research, training, and fishing village development.

Additionally, the two parties reached an agreement on a number of technical and financial provisions, as well as fishing modalities for Japanese vessels operating in Moroccan waters during the fiscal year of 2023.

During their meeting, the two parties discussed various existing cooperation projects in Morocco, including the “Souiria Kdima” project for a new generation of fishing villages, the aquaculture development project for blue growth in Morocco, and the appointment of a long-term Japanese expert.

Despite the delay in implementing projects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the two parties praised the level of cooperation in the fisheries sector. A memorandum of understanding was also signed on the sidelines of the meeting regarding the implementation of a development project for aquaculture in Morocco as part of Japanese technical cooperation.

Furthermore, the project aims to establish the foundations for small-scale aquaculture in Morocco, integrating scientific research, training, and development involving the National Institute for Halieutique, the National Agency for Aquaculture Development, and the Larache Institut de Technologies Maritime Fisheries.

In addition, they stressed the importance of establishing partnerships between private operators from both countries. They convened to encourage and promote such partnerships in the field of maritime fisheries and related activities.

Moroccan representatives stressed the importance of establishing a tripartite Moroccan-Japanese-African fisheries cooperation that will benefit all parties.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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