Nissui Co., Ltd. Survey results of the resource status of marine products handled by the Nissui Group (3rd round)

[Nissui Co., Ltd.] Survey results of the resource status of marine products handled by the Nissui Group (3rd round) ​
Nissui Co., Ltd. Press release: September 30, 2024 Survey results of the resource status of marine products handled by the Nissui Group (3rd round) Nissui Co., Ltd.
(Representative Director, President and Executive Officer Shingo Hamada, Minato-ku, Tokyo) has asked a third party to analyze and analyze the status of marine products handled by Nissui and 37 domestic and overseas group companies in 2022. We would like to inform you that the results of our evaluation request have been compiled. As a result of the survey, it was found that while progress has been made in the sustainable procurement of marine resources, there are still fisheries that cannot be evaluated due to lack of management systems and data, or fisheries that require improvement, and therefore priority needs to be given. I will take care of it in the future. The Nissui Group operates its business with the blessings of the sea, and the resource status of the marine products it handles is an important matter that affects medium- to long-term business risks and
opportunities. Therefore, at Nissui, we regularly conduct surveys to understand the resource status of the marine products we handle and identify issues that need to be addressed, and use them to build a system for sustainable procurement of marine products. This survey follows the first survey published in 2018, which covered 2016, and the second survey, published in 2021, which covered 2019. ■Third survey results The survey target was natural marine products and processed marine products, and as in the second survey, data and analysis from a third-party organization was used to maintain objectivity, and FishSource (*2), a database on marine resources by SFP (*1), was used. It was analyzed and evaluated using the method specified by ODP (*3). *1 SFP: Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Partnership for Sustainable Fisheries Established in 2006, this is an American NGO that promotes the improvement of fisheries through the supply chain. *2 FishSource： A database on international fisheries resources established by SFP in 2007. We scientifically analyze public information on marine resources and provide resource status and fishery management information for each species of fish. *3 ODP: Ocean Disclosure Project An online reporting platform for voluntary disclosure of seafood procurement that SFP began operating in 2015. [Summary of the survey] □Target companies: Nissui and group companies (16 domestic companies, 20 overseas companies), total 37 companies □Target period: 1 year in 2022 □Applicable marine products: Natural marine products and processed marine products (excluding seaweed) procured from the company’s group fishing industry and from outside the group, which each group company handles for more than 10 million yen (US$100,000) annually. Processed marine products including fish oil and fishmeal for mixed feed were converted to whole fish. [Survey results] (1) Overview of natural marine products handled by the Nissui Group (results of previous survey in parentheses) 1) Total amount handled…2.76 million tons (2.71 million tons) in raw fish equivalent weight 2) Number of fish species…304 fish species (269 fish species) 3) Fishing areas…18 locations (21 locations) in the FAO (*4) classification area *4 FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2) Resource status of marine products handled by the Nissui Group
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/19296/95/19296-95-503f31cc53ad46fbd143442a5facb5dd-1866×1872.jpg

1) Of the marine products handled by the entire group in 2022, 83% were procured from fisheries with a management system, and 75% were resources that were properly maintained and managed (in a state of “good management”). “things in control”). ・Properly maintained fisheries (75%) increased by 4% from 71% last time. Of these, 35% were in “excellent management”, a significant increase of 17% from 18% last time, and 40% were in “manageable”, down 13% from 53% last time. ・Even though there is a management system in place, 8% of the fish were procured from fisheries whose resource status is in a state of “requires improvement”. There was no change from last time. ・17% of fisheries were caught due to fisheries that cannot be evaluated due to lack of management systems or data (“profile not registered”), a 4% decrease from 21% in the previous survey. 2) The top three in terms of volume handled are pollack, anchoveta (Peruvian anchovies), and sardine, accounting for approximately 54%, and although there are management systems in place for these and ensuring sustainability, they are still below that level. of fish species include fisheries with no or inadequate management mechanisms. 3) 85% of the total amount handled was procured from outside the group, and 15% was procured from our own group fishing industry. Although most of these are in a state of “excellent management,” there are also many resources that “need improvement” or “profile not registered” among externally procured items, and cooperation with the suppliers from which they procure is needed to resolve future issues. work is essential 4) There are 13 species classified as Endangered Species I (CR/EN in the IUCN Red List, *5) and Class II (VU, *5) as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), compared to 16 species last time. decreased more. 5) MSC (*6) certified fisheries accounted for 800,000 tons, or 29%, an increase of 4% from the previous survey’s 770,000 tons, or 25%. There were 72 fish species, an increase of 17 species from the previous 55 species. *5 CR・EN・VU： CR (Critically Endangered), EN (Endangered), VU (Vulnerable) *6 MSC: Marine Stewardship Council Headquartered in the UK, it operates a seafood eco-label certification system. (3)Future countermeasures 1) We will prioritize fish species whose stock status is difficult to understand (especially fish species that are used as processing raw materials for fishmeal, fish oil, and surimi) by participating in roundtables and supporting FIP (*7). . 2) We will work to identify resources for items for which it is difficult to collect catch information and ensure traceability through collaboration with suppliers. 3) Consider evaluation methods to understand the risk of human rights violations regarding procured resources. *7 FIP: Fishery Improvement Project An international fisheries improvement project in which fishers, companies, distributors, NGOs, and other stakeholders work together to improve the sustainability of fisheries ■Reference: Summary of 2nd survey results and response Based on the first survey, the second survey expanded the scope of marine products surveyed to include fish oil and fishmeal, updated the data used for
determination, and changed the analysis to a third-party perspective. Of the 2.71 million tons of natural marine products handled, 71% were resources that were managed (“excellent management”, “management”), but 8% were in “required improvement” status, and “missing score” ( 21% were unevaluable due to lack of data. Based on these results, we implemented the following measures, which are still ongoing. 1. We participated in the Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients in July 2022 as a measure against fisheries that lack or are inadequately managed. 2. The “Procurement Policy for Endangered Species (Fishery Products)” (*8) was established in November 2022. 3. We have switched to sourcing from MSC-certified fisheries where possible. 4. We worked to obtain MSC fishing certification for our group’s fishing industry. In February 2024, Kyowa Suisan Co., Ltd. received MSC Fisheries Certification for its purse seine fishery for skipjack and yellowfin tuna in the Midwest Pacific Ocean. 5. We conducted a survey of white and pink shrimp aquaculture producers in Vietnam and evaluated them from a social scientific perspective. ​ For sustainability evaluation of so-called “extensive” shrimp farming carried out in the lower reaches of the Mekong River in Vietnam From 2022 to 2023, the project will target more than 200 shrimp farming households in two districts of Ca Mau Province. We commissioned Professor Akiko Ikeguchi of Yokohama National University to conduct a survey in collaboration with a local university. 6. We carried out genetic analysis to identify the species used in surimi from India and Southeast Asia, such as Japanese parrotfish, stickleback sea bream, and hairtail fish. This revealed that there are many subspecies of target fish species, so there are cases where the survey database and the actual fish species procured do not match, and it is important to identify the correct fish species and resources to assess sustainability. I realized this again. *8 Nissui Group Endangered Species (Fishery Products) Procurement Policy (established in November 2022) The Nissui Group complies with treaties and laws related to biodiversity, and contributes to the realization of a society that coexists with nature. In particular, we will stop procuring marine products that are at high risk of extinction if scientific and concrete measures are not taken to recover the resources by 2030. countermeasures> ・Certified fishery products such as MSC
(equivalent to GSSI certification) or FIP fishery products ・Scientific fisheries management by international resource management
organizations such as RFMO ・Evaluation of “Managed” or higher according to the standards set by ODP ・If other specific measures are being taken to achieve the above ●Details on this matter can be found below. https://nissui.disclosure.site/assets/pdf/212/2022_3rd_survey.pdf