The development of “Blue Seafood Guide,” a sustainable seafood rating program, and its implication in Japan

Abstract

Marine fish stocks have declined globally over the past half-century, and raising awareness of sustainable fisheries and seafood consumption has become a critical issue. The Blue Seafood Guide was launched as Japan’s first sustainable seafood rating program in 2013 with limited fisheries' data. In 2018, an original science-based methodology was incorporated into the guide to balance scientific rigor against the data deficiencies inherent in common Japanese management practices, including a lack of sufficient output control and catch information. This paper aims to illustrate why and how the Blue Seafood Guide (BSG), Japan’s first sustainable seafood rating program, was developed to best suit Japan's insufficient data infrastructure to raise awareness around sustainable seafood consumption. Also, it explains how the BSG attempted to create a nexus between fishery certificates and rating programs. In 2020, new legislation and Japanese fisheries policy reforms led to the implementation of catch documentation and import control rules. As a result, the Japanese fishing industry is experiencing a revolutionary transition to a global standard for sustainable fisheries. The BSG focuses on the nexus of science and policy and seeks to establish collaboration between certification and rating programs to accomplish its mission of encouraging sustainable seafood consumption positively and protecting the oceans for generations to come. This paper also summarized BSG’s implementation activities for awareness rising in Japan. At the discussion, we summarize lessons learnt and demonstrate perspectives for those who intend to develop seafood rating programs in other countries or areas similar to Japan.