Vannamei farmed shrimp tempura. Photo: Mos Burger

Japan onshore aquaculture takes root as mackerel, shrimp reach tables

Fish-farming method seen as healthy and environmentally friendly poised to expand

TOKYO -- Onshore aquaculture is expanding rapidly in Japan, with major fishery companies and startups getting into farmed mackerel, shrimp and oysters, as the country seeks to secure food supplies and protect the environment amid pollution and overfishing concerns.

Sushi made with fresh and fatty mackerel raised in onshore aquaculture facilities by seafood major Nissui is proving a weekend-only hit with customers of a sushi chain of restaurant and food group Colowide.

In 2019, Nissiu began jointly developing a large, land-based recirculating aquaculture system for chub mackerel, the first of its kind in Japan

The Nissui facility, the country's first for mackerel, is operated through a subsidiary in Tottori prefecture on the Sea of Japan. Equipped with 10 tanks, it is aiming for shipments of 175 tonnes in fiscal 2024 and 250 tonnes down the road.

Onshore aquaculture can offer a lower risk of parasites than marine aquaculture. Its added value of reducing the risk of food poisoning boosts wholesale prices by 20% to 30% over conventional aquaculture.

Nissui puts effort into research for managing the health of farmed fish and monitoring its environment so that high-quality fish can be bred in a stable manner.The Nissui Aquaculture Health Management System (N-AHMSR) was established -->

"Onshore aquaculture involves thorough water temperature control, giving the mackerel a lot of fat and improving the flavor," said a procurement division manager at Colowide MD, which handles food manufacturing and sales.

Nissui is also engaged in onshore aquaculture of whiteleg shrimp. The company provides them to Mos Food Services, the company behind the Mos Burger chain, which uses them for a fried-shrimp cutlet sandwich with a shrimp sauce.

Nissui began full-scale onshore aquaculture in April of whiteleg shrimp at facilities in Kagoshima prefecture on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu. It aims to ship 140 tonnes of shrimp from the facility in fiscal 2027.

"Most whiteleg shrimp are imported, so we're strengthening our efforts to secure domestic procurement methods," said Teru Tanaka, Nissui's executive officer in charge of its aquaculture business promotion department.

Fishing competition is increasing around the world because of poor catches stemming from climate change. Japan relies on aquaculture for about 24% of its fishing industry.

An automated feeder and feed sensor detect fish appetite and allow fish to feed on demand. Feeding time, feed amount, feeding interval and other operations can be controlled remotely.(Photo: Nissui)

But suitable locations for coastal aquaculture are limited, owing to factors including pollution. The onshore method has come into the spotlight for its low environmental impact and lack of restrictions on fishing rights.

Onshore aquaculture accounted for 2,356 tonnes, or less than 1% of Japan's aquaculture, in 2021. The figure is expected to expand, however, as startups set up facilities for raising other seafood like Atlantic salmon and oysters.

Oysters are difficult to raise via onshore aquaculture, since they require clean seawater at suitable temperatures and phytoplankton for food.

GO Farm, a company based in subtropical Okinawa prefecture that succeeded in the world's first onshore oyster aquaculture, uses nearby deep seawater pumping facilities, temperature control methods and mass phytoplankton cultivation.

The company has an annual production capacity of just 700 oysters now but plans to expand this to hundreds of thousands within three years, and millions in the future. It also aims to brand the oysters and start exporting them.

Funds are flowing into the nascent onshore aquaculture market. Mitsui & Co. subsidiary FRD Japan announced the sale of 21 billion yen ($144 million) in shares last month to raise funds for a rainbow trout farm under construction in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.

Authors/Source: Hiroki Obayashi and Yuki Masuda / Nikkei

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