A plan to use genome-edited fish to eliminate exotic fish species is being pushed forward at the National Research Institute of Aquaculture in Tamaki Town, Mie Prefecture. The plan involves the release of male fish in which the gene for producing eggs is destroyed to cause infertility in females. Female fish born from breeding with these genome-edited fish will then be unable to produce eggs. After repetition of this cycle, female fish able to produce eggs will disappear, and the species will become extinct. Even without the use of gene drive technology, it will be possible to bring about the extinction of a species, resulting in a serious impact on the ecology. As this use of genome editing is outside the scope of the Biodiversity Convention Cartagena laws, and thus there are no legal restrictions. (See BJ September 2018) If the plan is implemented, it need not therefore be publicized, and there is the possibility that anyone will simply be allowed to do it whenever they want.

The Cabinet Office held a "bio-strategy" council of experts for strengthening promotion of its 4th innovation policy on 27 January 2020. The meeting finalized a recommendation, including the aim of forming international bio-bases in the Tokyo and Kansai regions, to be incorporated into the Bio-Strategy 2020 to be published in June this year.

At a meeting of the Council for the Japanese Agricultural Standards held on 31 January 2020, a draft amendment of the organic Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) that incorporated a clause on crops, etc. that use genome-editing technology was submitted. With this, the MAFF policy not to approve crops applying genome-editing technology as organic was confirmed. (See BJ January 2020) The organic JAS covers the four categories of agricultural produce, processed foods, beverages and livestock products. During the Council, the opinion that "it is not possible to validate if genome-editing technology has been used or not," was put forward, but while MAFF responded that "we will continue to verify through traceability and so on, as up to now," the conclusion was postponed in order to examine Western verification procedures in the near future.