Act on the Optimization of Domestic Distribution of the Specified Aquatic Animals and Plants（Act No. 79 of 2020）.

In view of the fact that there is a risk that domestic fishery resources are decreased due to the distribution of aquatic animals and plants illegally caught or gathered in Japan and that there is an increasing international need to prevent the import of aquatic animals and plants that were illegally caught or gathered overseas, the purpose of this Act is to ensure the proper domestic distribution, import and export of specified aquatic animals and plants, so as to prevent the distribution of illegally caught or gathered aquatic animals and plants, and thereby to contribute to the prevention of illegal fishing and to the sustainable use of fishery resources as well as to the sound development of the fisheries and the related industries.
The Act provides for measures such as requiring business operators handling the aquatic animals and plants, etc. to communicate information among them, to make and keep transaction records, and to attach documents at the time of import/export certifying that those specified aquatic animals and plants were caught or gathered legally.