Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui)

Stakeholder engagement
Nissui demonstrates leadership by having one of the most robust stakeholder engagement approaches: it discloses its process for identifying and engaging with stakeholders across its value chain, the outcomes of its stakeholder engagement and its integration into its sustainability strategy. Also, its stakeholder engagement covers the most relevant sustainability topics in the seafood industry, as the company engages with stakeholders across its value chain.

No leading practices were found for the company in the ecosystems measurement area.

Commitment to traceable seafood
As a member of SeaBOS, Nissui has made a commitment to the GDST. With this commitment, the company supports implementing robust traceability systems in the seafood industry.

No leading practices were found for the company in the social responsibility measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
Nissui has a 2030 sustainability strategy that covers relevant sustainability topics in the seafood industry for both its own activities and its value chain. The strategy is split into three sections: (1) “Preserve the bountiful sea and promote the sustainable utilization of marine resources and their procurement,” (2) “Aim to be a company where diverse human resources play an important role to address the social agenda” and (3) “Contribute to a healthy lifestyle with food safety and security.” Although the company has targets with set deadlines to address ecosystem impact and social responsibility, it can improve by setting specific time-bound targets on the traceability of its seafood.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Nissui has established a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, with the company’s President and CEO as chair, demonstrating accountability and oversight for its sustainability strategy lies with the highest governance body. However, the company has an opportunity to strengthen accountability by linking sustainability objectives and targets to roles and remuneration.

Engagement in policy advocacy
As a member of the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS), Nissui takes part in collective advocacy activities through statements and calls to action towards governments. Examples of these activities are calls for governments to support boat crews and ocean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Statement on Traceability and Port State Measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Other than these statements, however, no further information was found about specific advocacy activities the company undertakes, individually and/or collectively, to improve public policies and strengthen legislation, nor was any reporting on results or impacts of policy advocacy activities.

Commitment to sustainable fishing and aquaculture
Nissui is committed to procuring sustainable marine products by 2030, but details on how it defines sustainable were not found, and the reporting is not comprehensive. Indeed, while it reports acquiring and sourcing from certified fisheries and farms, no updated metrics (since 2016) were found describing what percentage of its portfolio is certified and therefore how it is performing against its target. The company therefore has a significant opportunity to better define its target and show how it aims to achieve a sustainable supply of fishing and aquaculture products.

Ecosystem impacts of fisheries
As a member of SeaBOS, Nissui is committed to tackling abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), also known as ghost gear, by joining the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. The company also implements measures for preventing and reducing ALDFG in its operations, and it discloses examples of activities, such as acquiring certification, to manage fishing impacts on target and by-catch species. However, no recent quantitative metrics have been disclosed on the sustainability status of its source fisheries since 2016. As for endangered species, Nissui will continue to source endangered species if there is a mitigation plan. The company does not provide detailed information about how it manages impacts on sensitive habitats. As such, Nissui can significantly improve by disclosing its ecosystem impacts and how it mitigates any negative impacts by, for example, updating its disclosure of certified fisheries.

Ecosystem impacts of aquaculture
Nissui has limited disclosure about how it promotes sustainable aquaculture practices in its operations and supply chains. Although the company has developed an Aquaculture Health Management System to monitor the health of farmed fish, it does not provide evidence on how it aims to reduce the use of medicine and medically important antibiotics nor how it aims to improve animal welfare. Regarding its sourcing of terrestrial ingredients, Nissui joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in January 2021 but has not yet provided specific reporting through the framework. Finally, although the company states that is has reduced its use of marine ingredients, no metrics could be found. Furthermore, Nissui could disclose information about outbreaks, medicine use and disease management plans in its aquaculture operations.

Traceability system for seafood products and aquaculture feed ingredients
While Nissui has publicly committed to the GDST, the company does not disclose information about how it traces and verifies the origins of its seafood products. Robust traceability systems contribute to reducing social and environmental risks in a company’s operations and supply chains, so Nissui can improve by presenting its traceability system, including key data elements that are collected and mechanisms to verify the information along the supply chain.

Risk-based approach to IUU fishing
Nissui has assessed the sustainability of its portfolio, including the risks of IUU fishing, but this assessment dates back to 2016. And although a new assessment is expected to be published in 2021, it is unclear whether the company assesses IUU fishing risks on a regular basis. Nissui indicates that it will stop sourcing from fisheries where evidence of IUU fishing is found, but it does not disclose how it will identify risks or show evidence of IUU fishing. Moreover, the company did not disclose the results of its 2016 assessment with regards to these risks. Nissui could improve its performance in this area by disclosing its method to conduct risk assessments on IUU fishing as well as due diligence processes to identify and mitigate these risks across its operations and supply chain.

Disclosure of the origin of its seafood and marine feed ingredients
Nissui does not publicly disclose information about the source of its seafood products. By being transparent in this area, the company could demonstrate responsibility and accountability for its operations and supply chain. Nissui can improve its performance by disclosing an overview of its fishing and aquaculture operations and the seafood products it sources, including information about species, location and management status.

Forced labour
While Nissui commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and/or restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Working and living conditions on board fishing vessels
One of Nissui’s subsidiaries (Australian Longline) has certified its fishing vessel against the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard from Global Seafood Assurance. However, no evidence was found of a group-level approach to verify decent working and living conditions on board fishing vessels within in its own operations and supply chains. Nissui can improve by learning from the experience of its subsidiary and developing and implementing a group-level approach to monitor conditions on vessels and show how risks are mitigated and improvements are implemented, where needed.

Respecting customary and indigenous rights and support for local communities
No commitment could be found in relation to respecting customary rights, though Nissui does provide examples of engagement activities with local communities. The company could improve its reporting by disclosing a systematic/set process for engaging with local communities in its own operations and supply chains, and tracking progress of the results and impacts of its engagement with them.

Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) commits to respect human rights and the ILO core labour rights of its workers, and has a publicly available statement of policy that expects its supply chain partners to commit to respecting the ILO core labour rights. However, Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) provides limited disclosure on human rights due diligence and it does not disclose how it identifies, assesses, and takes action to address its human rights salient risks in its own operations and supply chain. Neither is evidence disclosed on how the company engages with affected and potentially affected stakeholders impacted by its operations. Nissui provides a grievance mechanism for workers. While the company indicates that external communities and individuals can make a report through its customer service centre, it does not disclose whether this channel allows for anonymous reporting.

Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) has a publicly available policy statement expecting its suppliers to commit to respecting the health and safety of their workers and discloses how it monitors their performance in this regard. However, the company does not disclose a commitment to respect the health and safety workers of its own operations and lacks reporting on key metrics such as the number of fatalities in the workplace. On gender equality and women’s empowerment, the company sets targets towards ensuring 30% of recruits are women and increasing the number of women in sales, production and management position. However, it lacks to disclose an overall commitment on the topic. No commitments to providing a living wage, fair working hours, and collective bargaining were found and the company does not report on workforce diversity metrics.

Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) publicly commits to protecting personal data, but could improve by disclosing what type of user information it collects and the types of third parties with whom this data is shared. While the company addresses bribery and corruption on its website, it does not disclose a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption in its operations and business relationships. Moreover, no policies setting out the company’s global tax strategy and approach to lobbying and political engagement were found.