The Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS) is one of the largest sustainable seafood events in Asia, held annually since 2015

Ten Years On: 'TSSS2024' to Be Held in October, Paving the Way for the Next Generation

JAPAN
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

Article based on an Interview with Kazuo Hanaoka, President of Seafood Legacy, by The Japan Food Journal

The Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS) will take place from October 8th to 10th, focusing on sustainable seafood—marine products that prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Over the past decade, the concept of sustainability has steadily gained traction in the Japanese seafood industry, leading to a significant paradigm shift.

As the summit marks its 10th anniversary, the event will include not only the stakeholders who have driven the movement thus far but also a program aimed at empowering the next generation of industry leaders. Kazuo Hanaoka, President of Seafood Legacy, the summit's organizer, shared his insights on TSSS, which aims to become a central hub for sustainable seafood, not only in Japan but also across Asia.

The central theme of "TSSS2024" is "Making Sustainable Seafood Mainstream." Reflecting on the past decade, President Hanaoka describes it as a period that transformed the mindset of the Japanese seafood industry. The inaugural summit in 2015 attracted around 400 participants, and now, sustainability has become a core principle in corporate management. "There is no longer any room for business practices that ignore sustainability," Hanaoka stated. During this period, the government has made significant strides in creating a supportive legal framework, such as the revision of the Fisheries Act for the first time in nearly 70 years in 2018, and the enactment of the Fisheries Distribution Optimization Act in 2020. Financial institutions are also increasingly prioritizing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investments, signaling a widespread shift. Seafood Legacy's efforts to "use the power of business to transform incentives at the production level by leveraging downstream buying power" have played a crucial role in these developments, according to Hanaoka.

This year, TSSS2024 will feature in-depth discussions with speakers from Japan and abroad, structured around the three pillars of Seafood Legacy's Theory of Change (ToC). On October 8th, the first day, the focus will be on market transformation initiatives. The day will start with a keynote address by Junro Ito, Vice President of Seven & i Holdings, followed by several experts who will discuss business strategies aimed at safeguarding the future of the seafood industry against three major threats: overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and human rights violations.

The second day, October 9th, will be dedicated to policy shifts. Building on 10 years of progress, key figures essential to mainstreaming sustainable seafood—including Ken Mori, Commissioner of the Fisheries Agency; Masatetsu Edamoto, Chairman of the Japan Fisheries Association; and Masanobu Sakamoto, Chairman and CEO of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations—will convene to explore the core issues of sustainability.

On the final day, October 10th, the emphasis will be on "finance engagement." Participants will discuss the growing interest of Japanese financial institutions in ESG investment and financing, as well as the funding needed to transform Japan and Asia’s fisheries sector into a sustainable growth industry. The summit will conclude with a session featuring next-generation leaders, who will reflect on the past decade and outline a vision for the next 10 years.

Reflecting on the progress made over the past decade, President Hanaoka observed that a healthy competitive landscape around sustainability has emerged among manufacturers and retailers. He also noted that Japan's initiatives are increasingly being recognized and appreciated overseas, which presents opportunities for further expansion of TSSS. "We want to build on the strong foundation laid by our stakeholders and chart a course for the next decade, particularly the five years leading up to 2030," Hanaoka remarked with optimism.

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