Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest
Fisheries
Overview of Japan’s Fisheries Diplomacy
Japan’s Basic Position on Fisheries
Japan's basic position on fisheries is to ensure sustainable use of marine living resources, which is one of the SDGs and the one Japan commits to. Japan pursues securing national interests while promoting sustainable use through enhancing international cooperation.
1. Sustainable use of marine living resources
With expected rise in global population and food shortages, sustainable use of marine living resources is becoming more important than ever before to humankind. The loss of marine living resources due to overfishing, for instance, must be avoided.
To this end, in addition to developing necessary international systems for conservation and management of marine living resources, it is also significant to take various measures on a global scale such as promoting trade rules to ensure sustainable use of marine living resources, and preventing, deterring and eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
2. Securing national interests
It is national interests for Japan to secure safe and stable supply of marine products for consumers, through securing sustainable use of marine living resources, which at the same time, promote sound development of the fisheries industry as a whole. Japan addresses international fisheries issues based on such a perspective.
3. International cooperation
Japan, a responsible fishing country with a rich experience and advanced technology in various fisheries fields, is expected and capable to play a leading role to ensure sustainable use of marine living resources. Actually, Japan takes an initiative to promote sustainable use, working with other related countries in various frameworks such as regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and related international bodies.
International Fisheries Organizations and Agreements
Target Fish Species and Water Areas
| Target fish species / Water areas | World Ocean | Pacific Ocean etc. | Atlantic Ocean etc. | Indian Ocean | Antarctic Ocean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunas | CCSBT | IATTC, WCPFC | ICCAT | IOTC | |
| Other fish species | NPAFC, CCBSP, NPFC | NAFO, SEAFO | SIOFA | CCAMLR | |
| Tunas and other fish species | UNFSA, FAO Compliance Agreement | ||||
| Marine mammals | CCAS |
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and Other Relevant Agreement
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea (CCBSP)
- Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
- International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
- Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
- North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC)
- North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)
- South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO)
- South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)
- Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
- Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA)
International Treaties and Organizations Related to Fisheries
- Depositary of the instrument of approval of the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (July 24, 2019) (Japanese)
- Entry into force of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (June 18, 2017) (Japanese)
- Entry into force of the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the North Pacific Fisheries Commission regarding Privileges and Immunities of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (June 2, 2017) (PDF)
- The Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (February 22, 2019) (PDF)
- Signature of the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (October 4, 2018) (Japanese)
Other Relevant Information
Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for the Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species
- Joint Press Release on the Eighteenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (July 25, 2025) (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Seventeenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (June 7, 2024) (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Sixteenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (July 27, 2023) (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Fifteenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (July 15, 2022) (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Fourteenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (July 27, 2021) (PDF) :Attachment1 (PDF) :Attachment2 (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Thirteenth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (June 29, 2020) (PDF) :Attachment1 (PDF) :Attachment2 (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Twelfth Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (April 19, 2019) (PDF)
- Joint Press Release on the Eleventh Meeting of the Informal Consultation on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (June 8, 2018) (PDF)
- Joint Statement on International Cooperation for Conservation and Management of Japanese Eel Stock and Other Relevant Eel Species (September 17, 2015) (PDF)
Relevant Information
- Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit 2022, Message by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. TAKAGI Kei (October, 2022) (the speech script can be read here (PDF) )
- “Japan-Norway Sustainable Ocean Policy Forum 2022” (Day 2) (February 15, 2022), presentation on “Japan’s Efforts to Combat IUU Fishing for Sustainable Fisheries” (PDF) by Mr. NAKAMURA Kazuhiko, Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau. The video of the forum is available here.