The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA), a global coalition of seafood businesses calling for better management of North East Atlantic pelagic fisheries, has welcomed Nissui Corporation as its latest member. This move by the world’s second largest seafood business signals that the mismanagement of North East Atlantic stocks is a global concern rather than a regional dispute.
Nissui joins the global NAPA Partners who are united in calling for North East Atlantic Coastal States to take decisive action to develop science-based catch sharing agreements that end overfishing. More than six years ago, North East Atlantic mackerel and blue whiting fisheries lost their Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification due to persistent overfishing and the lack of a sustainable sharing arrangement. Since then, catches have repeatedly exceeded scientific advice.
‘The seafood supply chain has a vital role to play in tackling these international challenges and finding meaningful solutions, as demonstrated by Nissui’s commitment,’ said NAPA executive chair Aoife Martin.
‘The Corporation’s strong and highly respected position in the global seafood market strengthens NAPA’s efforts to improve the health of these key fisheries and secure their place in global supply chains. Nissui’s membership also sends a clear signal that sustainable fisheries are not solely a regional concern, but a global imperative – and that the Japanese seafood industry is paying close attention.’
Following the sharp reduction in Japan’s own blue mackerel stocks in recent years, resulting from warming seas, businesses have increasingly turned towards the North East Atlantic to fill gaps in mackerel supply. Farmed Atlantic salmon is also a popular import for the Japanese market, but relies on blue whiting as a crucial source of salmon feed. With both mackerel and blue whiting suffering from unsustainable catches, Nissui’s membership marks a new chapter in the global discourse surrounding North East Atlantic fisheries management: offering a unique perspective from Japan’s own experience and a challenge to Coastal States to avoid repeating it.
NAPA states that Nissui’s entry into the coalition emphasises global expectations on fishery managers and Coastal States to renew their efforts to reach agreement and ensure the long-term sustainability of these important fisheries.
