Following the success of salmon farming in Miyagi, Iwate is swiftly implementing measures to bolster its own sector.

Iwate Moves to Boost Farmed Salmon Production Amid Catch Crisi

JAPAN
Monday, June 16, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Prefecture to Form Working Group as Poor Wild Salmon Catches Drive Focus on Expanding Aquaculture and Utilizing Vacant Hatcheries.

KAMAISHI – As Iwate Prefecture grapples with persistently low wild salmon catches, local authorities and industry stakeholders are taking decisive action to bolster farmed salmon production. The Iwate Fisheries Cooperation Promotion Council has announced plans to establish a new working group this fiscal year, bringing together aquaculture operators to devise concrete strategies for expanding farmed salmon output and improving sales channels.

The decision was made during a council meeting held in Kamaishi City, attended by some 20 representatives from the fishing, seafood processing, and distribution industries, alongside prefectural officials.

Photo: courtesy NHK/TV

A key point of discussion revolved around leveraging existing infrastructure. The Iwate Salmon and Trout Breeding Association reported on initiatives to utilize fall salmon hatcheries for raising farmed salmon fry. With 18 fall salmon hatcheries in the prefecture facing vacant breeding facilities due to the drastically poor wild salmon catches, there's a unique opportunity for repurposing. Already, 11 of these hatcheries are slated for use in farmed salmon fry production by the end of the current fiscal year to meet increasing demand.

Strategic Growth and Market Differentiation

The prefectural Fisheries Technology Center emphasized the importance of market differentiation for Iwate's farmed salmon. To successfully sell the local product outside the prefecture, focusing on improving the breeding environment and developing a distinct brand name during the production stage will be crucial.

Photo: courtesy NHK/TV

Following these discussions, the council confirmed its commitment to forming a working group that will include salmon farmers. This group will be tasked with developing specific measures to not only expand production but also to widen the sales channels for Iwate's farmed salmon.

Takuya Moriyama, Technical Director of the prefecture's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department and chairman of the meeting, highlighted the collaborative spirit. "We had lively discussions with the participation of processors and market-related parties," Moriyama stated. He also indicated broader ambitions for the region's aquaculture sector, adding, "In the future, we would like to discuss expanding sea urchin farming and farmed wakame production."

This proactive approach signals Iwate Prefecture's strategic pivot towards sustainable aquaculture solutions to mitigate the impact of declining wild fish stocks and secure the future of its local seafood industry.

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