Sustainability of Marine Resources

Support for SeaBOS

SeaBOS, which stands for Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship, is an initiative for promoting the preservation of the marine environment and marine resources and the sustainable use of resources advocated at the "Keystone Dialogue," a conference hosted by the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University (Sweden) in November 2016. SeaBOS is distinctive for its activities based on collaboration among nine of the largest seafood companies in the world (eight companies at the time of its establishment) while receiving support in scientific aspects as well. In December 2016, Nissui became a signatory to and joined SeaBOS, and at the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Symposium held in 2017, Nissui expressed its support for the thinking behind SeaBOS and declared its commitment to promoting initiatives for SeaBOS as part of its promoting activities of sustainability.
Efforts are being made to resolve issues in pursuit of a sustainable marine business, together with leading companies in the seafood industry and scientists worldwide.

Participation in External Initiatives​

In October 2022, the Seventh SeaBOS Dialogue was held. Discussions were held on each main theme of task forces, including such topics as the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and forced, bonded and child labor, the reduction of antimicrobials use in aquaculture, the marine plastics problem and the climate change problem, and an agreement was made regarding their respective targets and plans.

(Note): Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is an initiative aimed at taking measures against ghost gear (i.e., fishing gear remaining in the ocean due to being lost, abandoned or otherwise discarded). GGGI creates databases of ghost gear and prepares guidelines for curbing the generation of ghost gear.

The Seventh SeaBOS Dialogue 1

The Seventh SeaBOS Dialogue 2

Additionally, a panel discussion on SeaBOS took place at the “Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit 2022,” held in October 2022. Nissui took the podium along with Dr. Henrik Österblom, Science Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre, as well as Maruha Nichiro Corporation and Kyokuyo Co., Ltd. Mr. Martin Exel, Managing Director of SeaBOS, also joined online and engaged in discussions on such topics as Japan’s sustainable procurement, marine resources surveys and the marine plastics problem.

Connecting Science and Business

One of the major features of SeaBOS is the collaboration by scientists and the major companies of the seafood industry to work toward sustainability with a scientific basis. For example, the companies which form the membership of SeaBOS are selected based on the traditional concept of “Keystone species” in ecological research. “Keystone species” are thought to have a major effect on the ecosystem and serve as the key of each species (The word “keystone” denotes the central stone at the summit of an arch). Based on this concept, SeaBOS believes that the major global seafood companies may become the “Keystone actors” which will have an immense effect on the marine ecosystem and that if these companies assumed leadership in sustainability initiatives, it would have a chain effect on the seafood industry as a whole, and as a result, it would largely improve the management of marine resources and the marine ecosystem.

From SeaBOS materials

Areas Addressed by SeaBOS

SeaBOS has several task forces dedicated, for example, to eliminating IUU fishing and the problem of marine plastics, and engages in various initiatives for the sustainability of marine resources.

From SeaBOS materials