The Japan Branch

The Japan Branch was established in 1994 with about 100 members mostly from universities, governmental agencies and companies, specializing in various fields of fisheries research, education and development activities.

Four years after the establishment of the Asian Fisheries Society, the Second Asian Fisheries Forum was held in Tokyo in 1988. This event was the best opportunity to establish the Branch structure, where many Japanese researchers, scientists and professors as well as students majoring in fisheries were given the opportunity to notice the necessity and importance of international communication in fisheries science especially in tropical and subtropical areas.

The Branch processes membership applications to the Society, distributes the Branch newsletters, and offers a mailing service of the Society journal to Branch members.

The Branch organized the International Seminar on Aquaculture in Asia in August 1997, as the first Branch event. This covered two special topics: (1) Aquaculture in Asia, and (2) Sea Farming in Japan. The following Societies and Organizations provided supports to the Branch: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Tokyo University of Fisheries; Japan Society of Fisheries Science; Japan Society of Aquaculture and the Japan Society of Fisheries ) Engineering.

Although the number of the Branch members is rather stable since the beginning, the members have been actively involved in the Society events through the Fora, Workshops and Section activities. In the 5th AFF held in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1998, Japanese participants reached around 80. During the 5th AFF, Prof. A. Kanazawa, one of the founding members of the Japan Branch, was honored to the Gold Medal Award for his contribution to the Kanazawa Foundation.

AFS activities can create the good learning opportunity for the International Cooperation. Some of the Branch members are now strongly involved in the coordinating activities of the Core-University and Multi-Lateral Program under the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, which encourages the cooperative research and scientific seminars in Asia. The Japan Branch offers the information and access to them for enhancing the cooperation program with Asian countries through the establishment of the better working mechanisms for collaboration.

In recent years, the Branch itself is rather inactive, while the members have strongly engaged in international activities through the Japan Society of Scientific Fisheries, which had the 70th Annual Commemorative Symposium in 2000, and the up-coming big event of the 5th World Fisheries Congress to be held in Japan in 2008. The up-coming event of the Branch will be the Aquaculture Exposition and Seminar in September 2005 at Fukuoka Convention Center, which covers the scientific and industrial aspects towards the technical improvement for the global movement of aquaculture.

Mailing address:
AFS Japan Branch Office
c/o Dr. Hisashi Kurokura
Exhibition Technologies Inc.
8-5-26 Akasaka
Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-0052
Japan

Tel: +81-3-5775-2855
Fax: +81-3-5775-2856
E-mail: akrkrh@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
momma@exhibitiontech.com