Maruha Nichiro Launches Full-scale Trading of MSC Certified Scallops (PDF:280.5KB)

November 21, 2016

Maruha Nichiro Launches Full-scale Trading of MSC Certified Scallops

Maruha Nichiro Corporation (Maruha Nichiro; Head office: Kotoku, Tokyo; President and CEO, Shigeru Ito) will launch full-scale trading of MSCi certified scallops

1. Current state of MSC certified scallop

   With a total catch of approximately 400,000 tons, Hokkaido's scallop fishery is one of Japan's leading sustainable fisheries. It achieved MSC certification in May 2013. MSC certification is gaining recognition in countries where environmental awareness is high among consumers. In 2015, although the value of scallop exports from Hokkaido from January through December reached a total of 59 billion yen, making scallops the most valuable seafood export from Japan, most of them did not carry the MSC eco label.

   The main reason for this is that scallop exports to Europe where MSC certification is highly recognized are relatively low compared to that of the main markets of the United States and China. This is partly due to the fact that only a few Japanese scallop processing plants have managed to comply with HACCPii certification requirements necessary for exporting to Europe.

2. Maruha Nichiro's commitment to promoting MSC certified scallops

   In May 2016, the Headquarters on Creating Dynamism through Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Industries and Local Communities, which is under the auspices of the Japanese cabinet, announced its strategy for promoting exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products. With such support measures in place, progress is now underway to promote certification and other requirements necessary for boosting exports of Hokkaido's scallops.

   Maruha Nichiro has been exporting MSC certified scallops since 2014. With the increase in scallop processing plants that have achieved certification against both European HACCP guidelines and MSC CoCiii standards, it believes that it is ready to boost the supply and export of MSC certified scallops and will launch full-scale trading

   of MSC certified scallops in 2017.

   Maruha Nichiro will make full use of its global group network to develop premium markets and sales channels for value-added MSC certified Hokkaido scallops.

3. Objectives

By launching full-scale trading of MSC certified scallops, Maruha Nichiro hopes to achieve the following:

• The Hokkaido scallop fishery is representative of Japan's commitment to sustainable fishing. Maruha Nichiro intends to develop Hokkaido scallops into a global brand that is highly resilient against market fluctuations. This will enhance the financial stability of fishers and processors and promote sustainable management.

• The global demand for seafood is expected to rise as the world population continues to grow. By promoting the supply of seafood caught by environmentally sustainable fisheries, Maruha Nichiro aims to contribute towards environmental conservation.

Maruha Group will continue to pursue its growth as a global company committed towards the procurement of sustainable resources and technological innovation.

MSC Eco Label

Note i: The Marine Stewardship Council, MSC, is an international organization based in England founded in 1997 to promote best practices in making sustainable seafood choices through its fishery certification and seafood eco label system.

Note ii: HACCP, which stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, is a system for reducing the risk of safety hazards in foods by identifying and analyzing microbial contamination and other potential hazards that may occur during the manufacturing implemented at critical control points, which are then continuously monitored to secure food safety.

HACCP is an internationally recognized system developed by CODEX, a committee jointly established by FAO and the World Health Organization, WHO, which recommends the adoption of HACCP by all countries.

Note iii:CoC=Chain of Custody (certification for processing and distribution management) In order for MSC certified products to go through the supply chain, a company that takes ownership or is involved in processing the product needs to acquire CoC certification to guarantee traceability. CoC certificates are issued by an independent third-party certifying body.

Media Inquiry:

Maruha Nichiro Corporation

Investor Relations & Public Relations Department

Phone [phone] Fax [phone]