Project Launched to Address Changes in Ocean EnvironmentFishers and researchers to work together to collect and analyze information

The Nippon Foundation, the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, and the University of Tokyo’s Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute announced the launch of project to address changes in ocean environments, focusing on Japan’s coastal regions, at a press conference held on January 20 at The Nippon Foundation’s head office in Tokyo.

Photo of Masanobu Sakamoto, Yohei Sasakawa, and Susumu Hyodo
At the press conference, from left: National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations President Masanobu Sakamoto, The Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa, the University of Tokyo’s Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute Director Susumu Hyodo

In recent years, rising water temperatures and other changes in ocean environments have been having a major impact on Japan’s fishing industry. Every year, news media report on poor catches of fish including salmon and Pacific saury while fishing seasons and species are changing, but to date there has been a lack of objective data that makes it possible to visualize these changes in ocean environments. This project will be the first of its kind in which fishers and researchers work together, with fishers collecting information from across Japan and researchers analyzing that information, with the aim of shedding light on the actual state of changes in ocean environments. This analysis will be used to formulate countermeasures going forward and to disseminate information to the media. At the press event announcing the project’s launch, in addition to an update on the current state of the fisheries industry and a project overview, fishers described changes in the ocean that they have witnessed firsthand in recent years.

Photo of Tomokazu Kawabata
JF National Fisheries Cooperative Youth Division Chairman Tomokazu Kawabata

Contact

Ocean Affairs Team
The Nippon Foundation

  • E-mail: kaiyo_info@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp