Women Set Out to Sea: Can Female Labor Save the Fishing Industry? – nippon.com

Report on Gender Equality and Sustainability in Japan’s Fishing Industry

Japan’s fishing industry is confronting significant challenges that threaten its long-term viability, including climate change-induced declines in catches, reduced domestic seafood demand, and a severe labor shortage. This report analyzes the emerging trend of increased female participation in the sector as a critical response to these challenges, aligning with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Demographic Crisis and the Imperative for Inclusive Growth (SDG 8)

The sustainability of Japan’s fishing industry is undermined by a critical demographic imbalance, directly impacting the achievement of SDG 8. The workforce is both shrinking and aging at an accelerated rate.

Key Workforce Statistics (2024)

• Total industry employment stood at 114,820 individuals, a 5.4% decrease from the previous year.
• This figure represents only 40% of the workforce size from 30 years prior (1994).
• Workers aged 65 or over constitute nearly 40% of the total workforce (44,840 people).
• Approximately 70% of all fishers are aged 50 or over.
• The youth demographic (15-39 years old) numbers only 20,980, with low retention rates.

Barriers to Workforce Retention

High turnover among new entrants, with approximately half quitting within five years, is attributed to several factors that contravene the principles of decent work:

1. Physically demanding nature of the work.
2. Income instability.
3. Difficulties in adapting to the work culture, including instances of harassment.
4. Social isolation due to early hours and offshore operations.

This labor crisis necessitates a strategic shift towards creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce to ensure the industry’s economic survival and contribution to national growth.

Advancing Gender Equality (SDG 5) in a Traditional Sector

The increasing entry of women into fishing, a profession historically closed to them due to superstition and a lack of accommodating infrastructure, marks a significant advancement for SDG 5. This trend is shifting from women working in family-based roles to individuals independently choosing fishing as a career.

Initiatives Promoting Female Employment

• A Tokyo-based employment support center has observed a rise in female attendees at job-seeking events who have no prior connection to the industry.
• A government-supported affirmative action campaign, featuring a “We support women fishers” sticker and online promotion, is raising awareness and encouraging employers to hire women.
• A pre-event survey indicated that over half of participating fishing industry organizations were willing to consider or were actively seeking to hire female fishers.

Case Studies in Empowerment

The experiences of women like Urata Shizuku and Kimijima Hiori demonstrate a growing interest and determination among a new generation to break gender barriers. Urata, a fishery high school graduate, actively works to inspire other women, stating, “I hope my existence can make them think, ‘I want to be a fisher too.’” This visibility is crucial for normalizing the presence of women and achieving gender equality in the workforce.

Innovation and Sustainable Practices (SDG 14 & SDG 8)

The integration of women is not only addressing labor shortages but also introducing fresh perspectives that contribute to the industry’s economic and environmental sustainability, aligning with SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 8.

Enhancing Value Chains and Sustainability

Fisherwoman Kanazawa Maki exemplifies this new approach. Leveraging her professional background in public relations, she is involved in branding and marketing high-value seafood products. Key activities include:

1. Product Branding: Marketing spring amberjack under the brand name “Yui” to highlight its premium quality.
2. Sustainable Practices: Utilizing the ikijime method to ensure maximum freshness and reduce waste, thereby increasing the product’s added value.
3. Connecting with Consumers: Kanazawa believes women fishers can “bridge the gap between the fishing industry and the dining table,” helping to preserve seafood culture and promote consumer recognition of quality, sustainably sourced fish.

These efforts to boost revenue through value-added products contribute directly to the economic resilience of fishing communities (SDG 8) and promote responsible consumption patterns that support marine ecosystems (SDG 14).

Conclusion: A Path Towards a Sustainable and Equitable Future

Japan’s fishing industry is at a critical juncture where embracing gender equality is not merely a social objective but a strategic necessity for survival. By creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for women, the sector can address its severe labor shortages, foster innovation, and build a more resilient economic foundation. The growing presence of women fishers is a vital component in achieving a sustainable future for the industry, directly contributing to the interconnected goals of Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), and the conservation of Life Below Water (SDG 14).

Analysis of SDGs in Japan’s Fishing Industry

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The article’s central theme is the increasing number of women entering Japan’s fishing industry, a profession “long considered off-limits to females.” It details the breakdown of traditional barriers and superstitions, such as the belief that the sea deity Funadama would become jealous of women on board. It also highlights proactive measures like the “We support women fishers” campaign, which directly promotes gender equality in a male-dominated economic sector.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article extensively discusses the labor challenges facing the industry, including a “dwindling labor pool” and an aging workforce where “fishers aged 50 or over account for around 70% of all industry workers.” The push to hire more women and young people is a direct response to this labor shortage to ensure the industry’s economic survival. It also touches upon the quality of work, citing issues like unstable income, harassment, and a low retention rate for new workers, which are all relevant to the goal of achieving decent work for all.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • The entire context of the article is the fishing industry, which depends on marine resources. It mentions the industry’s struggle for survival and the need to “preserve seafood culture.” Furthermore, the initiative by fisher Kanazawa Maki to brand high-quality fish aims to “boost the added value of its products,” which relates to increasing the economic benefits derived from marine resources for fishing communities.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The article explicitly states that the fishing industry is “beset by problems including falling catches due to climate change.” This directly links the industry’s economic and labor challenges to the adverse impacts of climate change, highlighting the sector’s vulnerability and the need for adaptation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The article addresses the historical exclusion of women from fishing due to superstition and a workplace environment “not adapted to women.” Efforts to actively recruit women and change industry attitudes directly contribute to ending this form of discrimination.
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life. The article showcases women not just working as fishers but also becoming advocates and innovators. Kanazawa Maki’s work on branding and PR, and Urata Shizuku’s role as an inspiration for other women, exemplify women’s growing and effective participation in the industry.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people. The focus on recruiting women and young people like high school senior Kimijima Hiori into an industry with a severe labor shortage directly aligns with this target. The article also implicitly addresses the “decent work” aspect by mentioning challenges like low retention, harassment, and unstable income that need to be overcome.
   • Target 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The article highlights the industry’s need to attract and retain young workers, with fishers aged 15 to 39 being “less than half of the number aged over 65.” The job-seeker events and stories of young fishers are aimed at reducing youth unemployment by presenting fishing as a viable career path.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.b: Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets. Kanazawa Maki’s initiative to brand spring amberjack as a “top-shelf product” is a clear example of improving market access. This strategy aims to “boost the added value of its products” and “increase our revenue,” which directly supports the economic resilience of fishers and their communities.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article identifies “falling catches due to climate change” as a primary threat. The industry’s effort to diversify its workforce by including women can be interpreted as a strategy to build social and economic resilience, helping it adapt to the multiple challenges it faces, including those exacerbated by climate change.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Proportion of women in the fishing industry: The article provides a specific baseline figure, stating that women, “numbering 11,890, accounted for around 10% of the total” in 2024. Tracking this percentage over time would measure progress.
   • Proportion of companies willing to hire women: The article mentions a pre-event survey where “over half of the booth organizers indicated that they were willing to consider or actively seeking to hire women.” This can be used as an indicator of changing attitudes and opportunities.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Total number of fishers and age distribution: The article gives precise data from the 2024 Fishing Industry Structural Survey: 114,820 total fishers, a 5.4% decline from the previous year. It also breaks down the workforce by age, noting that nearly 40% are 65 or over. These numbers serve as key indicators for monitoring the labor shortage and aging workforce.
   • Youth retention rate in the industry: The article implies a negative indicator by stating that “around half of them quit in the first five years.” Measuring and improving this retention rate would be a direct indicator of progress towards providing decent and sustainable work for young people.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Value of fish products: The effort to create a brand name (“Yui”) to “boost the added value of its products” and “increase our revenue” implies that the market price and profitability of the catch can be used as an indicator. An increase in the value of branded fish would measure success in improving economic benefits from marine resources.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Volume of fish catches: The article identifies “falling catches due to climate change” as a key problem. Monitoring catch data over time would serve as an indicator of the ongoing impact of climate change on the industry’s primary resource base.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nippon.com