Photo by Yinji Li
The Kamogawa Shuppan Publisher has started featuring Dr. Yinji Li’s series of essays on small-scale fisheries, ‘Fisheries Sustainability from the Age of 13: SMALL Protects the World’.
‘Girls Who Fish’ activities are being developed in Canada and Japan to contribute to the improvement of gender issues, with the view that ‘women’ and ‘gender’ are important factors in realizing the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.
A number of TBTI Global members, including TBTI Director and the coordinators of several TBTI hubs, attended the 2025 MARE Conference in Amsterdam, which took place on 24-27th of June.
The article highlights the importance, diversity, and challenges of small-scale fisheries in both the Global North and South, emphasizing the need to reframe their value beyond size, toward their socio-economic, cultural, and ecological roles.
This program focuses on life and stories in small fishing ports and seaside areas, featuring interviews and introducing the voices of people working in family-run and small-scale fisheries. It covers a variety of ocean-related topics, including Umigyo, gender, food, youth voices, and marine life, and explores future possibilities through local practices.
Highlights from a recent visit to Japan of the Philippines researchers as part of the project on ‘Assessing and Accelerating: Towards the Full Implementation of the FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines (SSF Guidelines) in the Philippines’.
This podcast focuses on life and stories in small fishing ports and seaside areas, featuring interviews and introducing the voices of people working in family-run and small-scale fisheries. It covers a variety of ocean-related topics, including Umigyo, gender, food, youth voices, and marine life, and explores future possibilities through local practices.
This show spotlights the ingenuity, relationships, and ability to create the future that can only be done because of smallness. Even if it is small, it has the power to make the future. Through this program, we will carefully deliver the reality of small-scale fisheries and their profound appeal.
New conversations will be delivered on the 1st and 15th of every month.
The podcast host is Terumi Iwasaki, a freelance announcer who formerly hosted a popular local radio show in Shizuoka.
‘Girls Who Fish Japan’ program is inspired by the Canadian ‘Girls Who Fish’ program, which has been successfully run by Fishing For Success, a non-profit organization from Petty Harbour, Newfoundland & Labrador. Their year-round programming for youth, women, and immigrants encourages visitors to form their own bonds with Nature, through purposeful and practical experiences of fishing, gathering, gardening, etc. The non-profit places a great emphasis on the community, and youth to make decisions about their future, the way they want to live, and perhaps make a living.
The ’Girls Who Fish Japan’ program is run through a collaboration of several organizations, institutions, projects, and networks, including Tokai University, V2V Japan, TBTI Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Fishery and Ocean, Shizuoka City, Fishing For Success, and many others. The Mochimune* Branch of Shimizu Fisheries Cooperative Association has agreed to become a host organization for the program.
Special message from TBTI Japan & TBTI Philippines for 2025 World Day of Social Justice
The video was filmed during the week-long visit of researchers from the Philippines that are part of the project on ‘Assessing and Accelerating: Towards the Full Implementation of the FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines (SSF Guidelines) in the Philippines’. The project is led by Prof. Alice Joan Ferrer, the Executive Director of TBTI Philippines.
The visit was hosted by Dr. Yinji Li, associate professor of the School of Marine Science and Technology at Tokai University and the hub coordinator of TBTI Japan.
Special message from TBTI Japan hub coordinator Yinji Li for 2024 World Fisheries Day
Happy World Fisheries Day from students at Tokai University, Japan!
To say it’s been a busy year for TBTI Japan would be an understatement. In May of 2024, the hub hosted the SSF Symposium for Asia-Pacific – a first in the series of SSF Regional Symposiums. During the symposium, the hub launched the SHIN White Paper on Small-Scale Fisheries, a significant milestone in documenting and advocating for Japanese small-scale fisheries. TBTI Japan published a number of other publications, most notably a chapter on the assessment of the new Japanese Fishery Act as part of the TBTI Global volume on ‘Implementation of the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines’, edited by Nakamura et al. TBTI Japan hosted numerous outreach events, tirelessly working on highlighting the profile of small-scale fisheries. Least but not last, it was another memorable year for the hub’s ‘Girls Who Fish’ program that continues to provide opportunities to bring girls and women to the water and raise awareness of gender issues in fisheries.
Japan’s fisheries governance is based on the fishery rights and fisheries cooperative systems, which in turn are based on the existence of small-scale fisheries. Therefore, the presence of small-scale fisheries cannot be ignored in Japan’s fisheries policy. Within this context, the TBTI Japan Research Network brings together scientists, practitioners, community groups, organizations through transdisciplinary approaches and will ensure the widespread of the importance of the existence and roles of Japanese small-scale fisheries as well as addressing issues and concerns affecting Japanese small-scale fisheries.
The vision of the TBTI Japan Research Network includes:
(1) Dispatch the information actively along with systematical research on the various functions, importance, and latent strength of Japanese small-scale fisheries.
(2) Adopt transdisciplinary perspectives in Japanese small-scale fisheries research and governance.
(3) Enable the improvement of gender equality and equity in Japan by the initiative of the Japanese small-scale fisheries.
(4) Secure fishers’ income and the successors by establishing a research base to forge ahead with a wide range of new initiatives and concepts regarding small-scale fisheries.
(5) Approach Japanese small-scale fisheries from the standpoint of Blue Justice and continue with theoretical discussions on Blue Justice and advance research to relay it to practice.
(6) Help Japan to recognize the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) and promote its implementation fully and make a conscious effort on its application in Japan.
To say that a book is timely does not generate the sense of novelty or curiosity as it once did – the claim is being made too frequently, with numerous books and articles published each day. Yet, there is something noteworthy about this book, not only because of the splendid content it offers, but also because it highlights the possibility of doing something together in challenging times. Similar to what the title of the book suggests about Japanese small-scale fisheries, the world is in the ‘era of big change,’ with rising concerns related to global warming, globalization and environmental sustainability. But as the book shows, many of the changes have origins and deep historical roots that need to be traced and examined in order to fully understand why things are what they are today, and to figure out what to do next.
This TBTI e-book is a real treat for everyone, whether you’re familiar or not with Japanese fisheries. The book editors, Yinji Li and Tamano Namikawa, invited 48 contributors to cover all aspects of small-scale fisheries in Japan without losing sights of the broader picture, and with an intention to situate Japanese small-scale fisheries in the global context.
TBTI Japan e-book ‘In the Era Of Big Change’ won the Publication & Culture Award of the Japanese Association for Coastal Zone Studies! The awarding ceremony was held on July 27, 2021, at the general meeting of the association, which was held online. The award certificate and a medal were given by the President of the association, Professor Tomoya Shibayama.
"This book is the first research achievement that systematically captures the role and significance of small-scale fisheries in Japan, with a large number of participating authors; and since it has been published in English, it contributes significantly to international community towards understanding and improving the recognition of the importance of coastal areas."
TBTI Japan Coordinator, Professor Yinji Li of Tokai University, who received the certificate on behalf of the two editors, said:
"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. This honour is thanks to the 50 plus authors who supported the idea of this publication whose goal was to reaffirm the roles and significance of Japanese small-scale fisheries and to disseminate the message widely to the international community. This may be only a ‘Small’ step, but I take it as a ‘Big’ testament to the steady progress we are making in the small-scale fisheries research, and I will continue to devote myself to this field of research. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my co-editor, Dr. Namikawa, and TBTI Director, Professor Ratana Chuenpagdee. Thank you."
This book emphasizes the importance of small-scale fisheries and discusses governance to ensure the sustainability of small-scale fisheries. Although it is an academic book, it is written in an essay format and is easy to read. It covers the relationship between important topics in the marine-related field and small-scale fisheries and is a useful book for small-scale fisheries in Japan. Through the Japanese translation of this book, we would like to raise awareness of small-scale fisheries in Japan and provide an opportunity for everyone to think about appropriate governance and policies for small-scale fisheries. Particularly in 2022, which is the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA), the translation of such a book is very meaningful, and we are most pleased to be able to publish it.
This translation consists of 28 chapters, each of which is not only a translation but also includes a short communication essay by the translators. We also received various comments, including those from the fishers, about their expectations, concerns, and issues related to the new Fisheries Act. This translation, which was created by 22 authors and 14 short communication contributors, is considered to be another huge achievement by working together, following the 2020 TBTI Japan e-book "In the Era of Big Change, which received the Publication and Culture Prize of the Japanese Association for Coastal Zone Studies.
We sincerely hope you will take some time to read it and think about small-scale fisheries in Japan, whose international recognition is low, although Japan is a fisheries and oceans nation.
世界の漁獲量（海面及び内水面）の約半分を占める小規模漁業は、世界の約 3,000万人の漁業者の 90％以上を雇用している上、加工や流通などの関連業種を含めるとさらに8,400万人を支援しています。また、小規模漁業者及び関連労働者の95％以上が開発途上国に住んでいるため、水辺で生活する人々の経済を支え、社会的・文化的な価値に貢献していると考えられます。しかし、これらの小規模漁業コミュニティーの多くは不安定で脆弱な生活および労働条件にあります。小規模漁業の重要性を認識した研究者らは世界規模の小規模漁業研究ネットワークを形成、TBTI（Too Big To Ignore: 無視するには大きすぎる）プロジェクトとして知られるようになりました。 小規模漁業への関心が高まる中、日本でもTBTI Japan研究ネットワークを発足することになりました。本研究ネットワークには、研究者、行政関係者、実務者、漁業者、コミュニティグループ・組織・団体等が集まり、日本の小規模漁業に関する様々な研究を進めるとともに、日本小規模漁業の存在意義と役割を国内外に向けて積極的に発信することを目的としています（本研究ネットワークでは、沿岸漁業を小規模漁業として捉えています）。
最初の事業として「「大」変化時代における日本「小」規模漁業の意義（In the Era of Big Change）」という本が作られました。この本では、48人の寄稿者を招待して、日本の小規模漁業を取り巻く様々な側面をエッセイ形式で紹介しています。日本の小規模漁業を世界規模で紹介し、位置づけようと意図している本です。内容は多岐にわたっています。第1部は導入部として、小規模漁業の意義、日本の小規模漁業について概観し、第2部は日本の小規模漁業の制度的側面として、日本の漁業制度における漁協の役割、女性の貢献の重要性、漁業法改正、里海の考え方、沿岸利用における漁業者の役割、ジェンダー政策、政府のサポート等について紹介しています。第3部は日本の小規模漁業の現状として、伝統と文化、海女、小型捕鯨、漁業安全システム、漁港整備、産地市場、漁場整備、防災、就業状況等について、第4部は新たなイニシアティブ・概念として、六次産業化、ブランド化、都市漁村交流、渚泊、浜の道具箱、浜の活力再生プラン、水産物活用技術について紹介しています。第5部は国際比較という視点から、タイ、マレーシア、カンボジア、フィリピン、ベトナム、中国、台湾、マーシャル諸島、マラウィ、米国、カナダの各国の小規模漁業と日本の小規模漁業を比較しています。第6部はグローバル化の視点から日本の小規模漁業について、海洋温暖化、再生可能エネルギー、環境教育、海洋保護区、SSFガイドライン、SDGs、学際的アプローチ、パートナーシップ、ブルー・ジャスティス、TBTI-Japanの各視点から考察を加えています。この本は、下記から無料でダウンロードすることが可能です。各章の和文要旨も掲載しています。 https://tbtiglobal.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/In-the-Era-of-Big-Change-ebook_Final_small.pdf
TBTI ジャパン研究ネットワークのビジョンとしては、1）日本小規模漁業の多様な機能と重要性及びその潜在力について、体系的な研究とともに積極的に発信すること、2）日本のジェンダー問題を小規模漁業から率先して改善できるように推進すること、3）漁業者の所得向上と後継者の確保のための様々な取組を推し進めるための研究基盤となること、4）ブルーエコノミーや「成長産業化」政策の中で小規模漁業が疎外されることがないように、ブルー・ジャスティスの理論的検討を重ねるとともに、実践へつなげるための研究を進めること、5）日本において「持続可能な小規模漁業を持続するためのFAO の自主的ガイドライン」を十分認識するとともに、意識して履行していくことを推進すること等が挙げられています。
TBTI Japan コーディネーター
李 銀姫（東海大学海洋学部 准教授）
浪川 珠乃（漁港漁場漁村総合研究所 上級研究員）
東海大学海洋学部 李銀姫研究室（8341室）
〒424-8610 静岡市清水区折戸3-20-1
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @TBTI_Japan
Instagram: @tbti_japan
Facebook: @TBTIJapan
Yinji Li is an associate professor at Tokai University in Shizuoka. Her research interests and expertise lie in fisheries and coastal issues among Northeast Asia, such as Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea. For many years, she has been researching these areas to understand the actual conditions and challenges on governance mechanisms, community institutions, market and branding systems, community-based tourism, etc., and interacting with relevant stakeholders. She is a member of the Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) project, Human Dimensions Working Group of Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project, and coordinator of Japan country team of the Vulnerability to Viability Global Partnership(V2V) project.
Tamano Namikawa was born in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from the Department of Construction, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, she engaged in port planning and coastal planning at a construction consulting company. After leaving the company, she received a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. She started her current career in the Japanese Institute of Fisheries Infrastructure and Communities in 2011.
