TBTI Japan

Recent news about TBTI Japan

Celebrating latest achievements of TBTI Japan

Over the past year TBTI Japan has been busy on all fronts, producing several publications, hosting a number of national and international events and working continuously on raising the awareness of the importance and values of small-scale fishing people and communities in Japan.

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SSF Regional Symposium for Asia-Pacific

Join us for a reflective journey as we look back at the SSF Regional Symposium for Asia-Pacific. Witness some of the most exciting and memorable moments, find out what topics took center stage, and check what issues and next steps were discussed as part of Bright and Hope Spots. There is also a special section on ‘Girls Who Fish’ as well as on ‘Girls Who Love To Eat Fish’. Plus, lots and lots of photos. So, get comfortable and enjoy the read.

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TBTI Japan launches a TD committee

TBTI Japan has launched a transdisciplinary committee for a small-scale fisheries white paper project, which will be officially released during the Small-Scale Fisheries Regional Symposium for Asia Pacific in April of 2024. The first committee meeting was also featured in the Fisheries Daily on Nov 28, 2023.

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Busy year for 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.

Launch of TBTI Japan

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.

Book: In the Era of Big Change: Essays About Japanese Small-Scale Fisheries

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 receives the Publication & Culture Award of the Japanese Association for Coastal Zone Studies

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."

Book: Life Above Water – Japanese translation

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.

‘Girls Who Fish’ – Japan

‘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.

TBTI Japan 研究ネットワークについて

Contact

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

Hub coordinators