As Japan’s average seafood consumption continues to wane, the country is continuing to engage in efforts to increase awareness of local fish.
The country’s per capita seafood consumption peaked in 2001, and has been steadily declining as younger Japanese people gravitate toward meat and more Western-style cuisine. As a result, younger people are becoming less familiar with local fish options. Compounding the issue, the decline in consumption is resulting in closures local fish shops, which used to be a hub of information about seasonality and cooking methods of local fish.
A 2011 consumer survey on fish consumption in Japan revealed many people wanted to eat more seafood for health reasons, but found meat dishes to be more delicious. Japan’s Fishery Agency has tied the downturn in fish consumption to a lack of knowledge about preparing seasonal fish dishes, as consumer data shows people still appear willing to eat seafood fish out-of-home, when prepared by a professional in a commercial kitchen.
In response, Japan’s Fisheries Agency has certified easy-to-cook processed fish products as “Fast Fish” since 2012. At the same time, the agency has created the “Pride Fish Project” as a sister project to Fast Fish to showcase local species that take more effort.
Through the program, each prefectural Japan Fisheries Cooperative group annually will featured fish, shellfish, and seaweed species for spring, summer, autumn, and winter over the next three years. This list is designed to become a resource for those who want to eat local fish and to tout the species as a local specialty for tourism purposes.
To be eligible for the program, no specific amount of landings or sales value is required, so local fish and farmed fish that have not yet received national attention are eligible.