Challenges by companies → Maruha Nichiro

Maruha Nichiro Corporation

We hold a interview with Maruha Nichiro Corporation about the protection of marine resources by e-mail. (Answer e-mail recived at November 4th, 2022)

Maruha Nichiro Corporation began efforts to handle MSC certified products in 2006, and as currently of 2022 handles a number of food products labeled with the MSC-certified "MEL certification (Marine Eco-Label Japan)", including scallops, Australian tiger, mackerel, sockeye salmon, and Alaska pollack.

A canned tuna commodity of Maruha Nichiro certified by MSC

Q1. Why are your company take aggressivelly action to marine resources protection?

In order to practice sustainable management of our company with increasing corporate value, marine resource depletion would be the most serious risk to our business operations.

Q2. How many products do your company currently provide with MSC certification?

Maruha Nichiro Corporation began to provide MSC-certified products in 2006, and as currently of 2022 scallops, products of australian tiger (shurip), mackerel, sockeye salmon, and Alaskan pollack are providing with MSC certification.

In 2019, we provieded about 40-50 kinds of MCS certified marin products, which total weight are about 820,000 tons. This corresponds to 59% of the total volume of natural marine products we provided in the same year (approximately 1.41 million tons).
In addtion, in 2021, we provided approximately 1.195 tons of frozen marin food products with MSC certification.

Q3. What is your company challenge to sustainablity of tuna?

Maruha Nichir became the first private company to successfully complete aquaculture of Pacific bluefin tuna in 2010, and put completely aquacultured tuna to market.
Complete aquaculture is a method of cultivating (producing) fish without using natural resources. In complete aquaculture, eggs are collected and hatched from bluefin tuna raised on the farm, and the cycle of production and shipment is completed within the farm. Therefore, complete aquaculture is an important effort to realize a "sustainable fisheries industry”.

The challeges to develop the complete aquaculture of bluefin tuna said extreamly difficult before, but Maruha Nichiro tried to this challenge and won. In current, the technology have reached to commarcial level and shipped 570 ton of complete aquaculuted tuna in 2021.
We are now conducting novel technical development to improve the syteme for the future.

Q4. Which of your company's efforts were highly regarded and led to MSC certification?

We have MSC CoC (chain of custody) certification for the distribution stage. Since the former Nichiro acquired certification in December 2006, we have continued to manage our products in accordance with the requirements of the certification standard and expanded our handling of MSC-certified products, which led to the commercialization of MSC-certified light tuna flakes.
Since obtaining this certification in December 2006, we have continued to manage our products in accordance with the requirements of the certification standard and have expanded our handling of MSC certified products. We believe that this led to the commercialization of MSC-certified light tuna flakes.

Q5. What is difficult points for your company to do challenges to marine resources protection or MSC-certified products?

In order to evaluate effect of action to marine resource conservation, it is necessary to clearly identify the target fish and the target values. Our company conducted a stock assessment of the marine products we handle in 2019 and found that 18% of natural marine products had insufficient data to confirm stock levels. Although it is not easy to collect data to determine the exact amount of resources, we have set a goal of "100% survey rate of resources by 2030" and are promoting efforts to protect marine resources from this year.

One of the problems of MSC certification is the low visibility of the certification. Although it is gradually gaining recognition, we feel that market penetration is still at the starting line. In addition to this low visibility, certified products are more expensive than non-certified products, making it difficult for consumers to purchase them.

Q6. What has been the consumer response to your company's efforts to protect marine resources and MSC certified products?

According to a survey of consumers conducted by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) between January and March 2020, awareness of the MSC Marine Ecolabel in Japan was 15%, down 4 percentage points from two years ago, but the percentage of those who understand that the MSC Marine Ecolabel is about ocean sustainability and certification increased from 28% to 36%. However, the percentage of those who understand that the MSC Marine Ecolabel is about ocean sustainability and certification increased from 28% to 36%, indicating that awareness of the Marine Ecolabel in Japan is on the rise.

Our company hold cooking classes for children and their parents and accept company visits from elementary, junior high, and high schools, and we always inform them about MSC and ASC certification. We are always sure to inform students about MSC and ASC certification at these events. We expect that SDGs will be included in the guidelines for elementary and junior high schools, and that environmentally conscious products will gradually become an option in the future.

Q7. What are your future prospects and challenges regarding sustainable products?

⑴ The Maruha Nichiro Group is actively promoting the handling of MSC and ASC certified marine products, including products displaying the MSC "Ocean Eco Label" and ASC logo. The frozen food "Ocean Blue White Fish & Tartar Sauce" is one of Maruha Nichiro's "MSC certified" products, which went on sale nationwide in March 2018. It uses pollock caught off the coast of Alaska in a fishery that has acquired "MSC certification" as an ingredient. Maruha Nichiro is the first domestic frozen food manufacturer to launch its own-brand, domestically produced, home-cooked frozen food with the MSC "Marine Ecolabel". Maruha Nichiro is also conducting cooking classes using certified marine products as part of its efforts to promote the MSC "Marine Ecolabel" and other certifications. Maruha Nichiro will continue to expand its activities on the corporate side so that consumers will be more proactive in choosing sustainable products.

⑵ We have launched a challenge for land-based salmon farming together with other companies. The goal is to establish a sustainable, stable, and efficient salmon production system in cooperation with Mitsubishi Corporation, which is involved in a wide range of businesses. We aim to start operation in 2025, with the first shipment in 2027.

⑶ With the aim of establishing a technology for culturing fish muscle cells, we are promoting joint research and development with Integriculture Corporation, a cell culture startup, and Ichimasa Kamaboko Corporation, which boasts the top share in the seafood paste products industry. Through this initiative, we aim to realize commercial production at the fastest pace in the world and provide sustainable next-generation fish protein by offering food products made with the cell culture technology at a price range affordable by consumers.

Thank you for your cooperation. I think it is wonderful that Maruha Nichiro Corporation is actively involved in activities related to the protection of marine resources, such as sales of MSC certified products and complete aquaculture of tuna.

Links

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
　　https://www.maruha-nichiro.com/

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