SCS Global Services Report MSC PRE-ASSESSMENT REPORT Pacific Cupped Oyster (Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, 1793) Enhanced Fisheries in Hiroshima and Hiro Bays, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan Client Representative: Kurahashijima Kaisan Co., Ltd. Hideo Okami (Dir.) Kurahashicho 747-5, Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan http://www.kurahashij.co.jp Client Group Members: Kawasaki Suisan Ltd., Aya Suisan Ltd., Amibun Kaisan Ltd., Yoneda Suisan Ltd., Dairyo Ltd.) DATE OF REPORT 09/30/18 Prepared by: Dr. Mikio Moriyasu, Consultant, Principle 1 and 2 Dr. Reiko Omoto, Consultant, Principle 3 Mrs. Jennifer Humberstone, SCS Global Services, Quality Assurance Natural Resources Division +1.510.452.6392 [email protected] 2000 Powell Street, Ste. 600, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA +1.510.452.8000 main | +1.510-452-8001 fax www.SCSGlobalServices.com SCS Global Services Report Contents Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Glossary....................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Executive summary ............................................................................................................... 4 Evaluation of Enhanced Fisheries and Scope Considerations ......................................................... 5 Pre-assessment Process .................................................................................................................. 6 Summary of Findings ....................................................................................................................... 6 2. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Aims/scope of pre-assessment ........................................................................................... 10 2.2 Constraints to the pre-assessment of the fishery ............................................................... 11 2.3 Unit(s) of Assessment ......................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Catch Data ...................................................................... 15 3. Description of the fishery .................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Scope of the fishery in relation to the MSC programme .................................................... 18 3.2 Overview of the fishery ....................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Principle One: Target species background .......................................................................... 31 3.4 Principle Two: Ecosystem background ................................................................................ 36 3.5 Principle Three: Management system background ............................................................ 52 4. Evaluation Procedure .......................................................................................................... 56 4.1 Assessment methodologies used ........................................................................................ 56 4.2 Summary of site visits and meetings held during pre-assessment ..................................... 57 4.3 Stakeholders to be consulted during a full assessment ...................................................... 58 4.4 Harmonisation with any overlapping MSC certified fisheries ............................................. 58 5. Traceability (issues relevant to Chain of Custody certification) ............................................. 59 5.1 Eligibility of fishery products to enter further Chains of Custody ....................................... 59 6. Preliminary evaluation of the fishery ................................................................................... 60 6.1 Applicability of the default assessment tree ....................................................................... 60 6.1.1 Expectations regarding use of the Risk-Based Framework (RBF) ..................................... 60 6.2 Evaluation of the fishery ..................................................................................................... 60 6.2.1 Other issues specific to this fishery ................................................................................. 60 6.3 Summary of likely PI scoring levels ..................................................................................... 61 References ................................................................................................................................. 67 1 Annex 1: Pre-assessment evaluation tables .......................................................................... 71 1.1 Principle 1- Not Scored ............................................................................................................ 71 1.2 Principle 2 ................................................................................................................................ 71 1.3 Principle 3 ................................................................................................................................ 87 Version 2-0 (May 2016) | © SCS Global Services | MSC Pre-Assessment Reporting Template Page 1 SCS Global Services Report Glossary ASI Accreditation Services International AVS Acid Volatile Sulfide CAB Certification Assessment Body CAG Catch And Grow CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species cm Centimeter DAT Default Assessment Tree DO Dissolved oxygen EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone ESMA Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas ETP Environmentally Threatened or Protected g Gram (0.001 kg) HFMC Hiroshima Prefectural Fishery Management Council IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature Milligram per gram of dried sediment (measured unit for AVS in dried mg/g sediment ) JFPRA Japan Fisheries resources Protection Association MLIT Ministry of Labour, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan mm Millimetre MSC Marine Stewardship Council NGO Non-Governmental Organization PI Performance indicator Ren A single wire string comprised of scallop shells (collector) and spacer SCS Scientific Certification Systems SG scoring guidepost TN Total nitrogen TP Total phosphate TRP target reference point μM Micro Mole ASI Accreditation Services International B0 unfished biomass BMSY biomass at maximum sustainable yield CAB Certification Assessment Body CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species cm Centimeter CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort DAT Default Assessment Tree ETP Environmentally Threatened or Protected F Fishing rate/catching rate FAO Food and Agriculture Organization [of the United Nations] FLIM fishing rate at which catchability will be impaired FMSY fishing rate at which catchability is sustainable and at a maximum FRER Fisheries Right Exercise Rules g Gram (0.001 kg) Version 2-0 (May 2016) | © SCS Global Services | MSC Pre-Assessment Reporting Template Page 2 SCS Global Services Report IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature LRP limit reference point mm Millimetre MSC Marine Stewardship Council NIES National Institute for Environmental Studies NGO Non-Governmental Organization PI performance indicator SCS Scientific Certification Systems SG scoring guidepost TL total length TN Total nitorgen TRP target reference point US United States VME Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem WWF World Wildlife Fund Version 2-0 (May 2016) | © SCS Global Services | MSC Pre-Assessment Reporting Template Page 3 SCS Global Services Report 1. Executive summary This report discloses the results of a Marine Stewardship Council pre-assessment of one Unit of Assessment (UoA): Pacific cupped oyster ( Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, 1793) enhanced fishery in Hiroshima Bay and Hiro Bay, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan in the geographic region of the Hiroshima Prefectural waters, Seto Inland Sea in the Japanese EEZ. The pre-assessment was undertaken by an SCS Global Services expert team via the fishery client group led by Kurahashijima Kaisan Co., Ltd., operating out of Hiroshima Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the any component of the above mentioned fisheries has undergone pre-assessment against the MSC standard. The oyster culture operation occurs in three stages, and this would be reflected in three UoAs. For the purposes of the pre-assessment, there is a single set of scores, and where outcomes may differ between the three units, or stages of production, the scores are provided based on the lowest scoring unit (or production stage with highest impact concern). Differences in scoring outcomes between these units is only considered likely when considering localized habitat and endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species impacts (PIs 2.3.X and 2.4.X). Table 1. Description of the fishery’s Units of Assessment. Stock/Species Method of Capture/Production Fishing fleet (FCR V2.0 7.4.7.1) (FCR V2.0 7.4.7.2) (FCR V2.0 7.4.7.3) Hiroshima Bay sub- 1. Spat collection followed by hanging The following operators in population of Pacific culture using scallop shells and final raft Hiroshima Bay and Hiro Bay, cupped oyster suspending culture Hiroshima Prefecture, Seto (Crassostrea gigas Inland Sea, Japan: Kawasaki Thunberg, 1793) 2. Oyster strengthening through hanging on Suisan Ltd., Aya Suisan Ltd., tidal flats Amibun Kaisan Ltd.,