1. Objectives
While Japan is now working on promoting exports of its marine products, the functions of production and logistics for export have yet to be fully studied. Among export commodities, marine products need especially hygienic management (HACCP management, etc.) and freshness-preservation measures in their production and logistics. This is a consideration in determining which ports and transportation to use when exporting marine products. Therefore, the authors first clarify the current status of the world’s and Japan’s supply and trade of marine products, and of transportation and its routes from production areas to consumption areas by analyzing related statistical data (FAO FishStat, Japan’s trade statistics, Japan’s research on flow of container and air freight), and by conducting site surveys. Based on the results of this analysis, the authors discuss how to improve the functioning of ports in connection with promoting the export of marine products.
2. Functioning of fishing ports, ports and airports for promoting the export of marine products
2.1 Analysis results
a. The world’s edible fish supply has been steadily increasing, along with growth in the world's fisheries and aquaculture production, as well as marine products trade. Fresh or chilled fish lead intra-regional trade worldwide. By commodity type, fresh or chilled fish or fillets (value-added and ready-to-eat) have been increasing in both value and volume.
b. Japan's export value and volume are still at a low level in spite of export promotion efforts to secure new markets overseas and to keep the domestic production price stable. By commodity type, the volume of frozen fish (low-priced) is decreasing, while the volumes of cephalopods and mollusks and fillets are increasing.
c. Regarding overseas maritime freight transportation, the ports of Keihin and Hanshin are designated as international strategic ports with international freight transportation routes to all over the world. They provide outstanding export value, followed by the ports of Tomakomai, Shimonoseki and Hakata, which are designated as international hub ports, located in major fish production areas in Northern and Western Japan. In air freight transportation, the international airports of Narita, Tokyo and Kansai service international freight transportation routes, while the international airports of Chitose and Fukuoka in major fish production areas are heavily used for export.
d. In production areas, the principal fishing ports for production of marine products are now being updated to hygiene-managed fishing ports. EU or FDA-approved marine product processing factories are centered around the principal fishing ports.
e. Air freight transportation is used for live, fresh or chilled fish produce that require more careful preservation of freshness, or for high-priced marine products, while maritime container freight transportation is used for frozen fish, dried fish or other marine products. Reefer containers account for over 90% of all containers used for marine products. For the export of live, fresh or chilled fish to neighboring countries (South Korea and China), ferries and RORO ships (with trucks carrying fish on board) are used on short international transportation routes, along with carrier vessels dedicated to transporting fish. This method of freight transportation is referred to as maritime “non-container” freight transportation.
f. Maritime container freight transportation: longer transport time (6 hours to one month), lower cost and larger loads (average freight weight: 98 freight tonnes)
Air cargo transportation: shorter transport time (3 to 13 hours), higher cost and smaller loads (average cargo weight: 380kg)
Maritime non-container freight transportation: intermediate characteristics between the above two (6 hours to 1.5 days)
g. Live, fresh or chilled fish and fillets are exported globally by air freight transportation, and to the port of Busan from the ports of Shimonoseki, Hakata and Uwajima (Western Japan) by maritime non-container freight transportation.
2.2 Conclusions
a. Fishing ports and regular seaports perform significant functions related to the production and logistics of transporting marine products from producers to consumers overseas, serving as a base for unloading fish under hygienic management and for exporting marine products while preserving freshness.
b. It is beneficial to export more live, fresh, or chilled fish or fillets. It is concluded that stepping up freshness-preservation measures would accelerate global exports by air freight transportation and exports to neighboring countries by short international transportation routes directly from principal ports located in production areas.
3. How to improve the functioning of ports for export promotion of marine products.
3.1 Analysis results
a. A large amount of marine products is shipped to neighboring countries after being transported to the ports of Shimonoseki and Hakata by land or coastal ferry from Hokkaido, with a lead time of 3 to 3.5 days from producers to consumers, rather than being transported directly from ports in Hokkaido.
b. Located on Hakata Bay are Hakata fishing port and the port of Hakata. Most fresh fish from Western Japan is collected to the principal fishing port by sea and land, and is distributed to domestic consumers shortly after being auctioned off. In contrast, live or fresh fish shipped from the international hub port is collected by land from the North and West, not from Hakata fishing port.
3.2 Conclusions
a. Transportation and the routes used for export of live or fresh fish are carefully selected based on how well the port supports the logistics functions necessary for shipping safely and economically within acceptable lead times for maintaining freshness, in consideration of the products’ characteristics, necessary lead time, cost and lot size.
b. In order to promote the export of live or fresh fish, it is necessary i) to develop and introduce effective technology for preserving freshness in container freight as well as ii) to ease import controls on marine products from Japan, and to facilitate procedures for issuing export certificates and other required documents. These countermeasures would realize more use of ferries, RORO and container ships to improve the current functioning of ports.
c. It is more effective to combine the logistics functions of the principal port and production functions of the hygiene-managed fishing port. Sharing necessary information aspects among all parties and people concerned can leverage the improvement of ports to ship marine products reliably and efficiently.