An hour’s drive from central Tokyo, a saltwater fish-farming factory sits atop a hill covered in thickets full of chirping birds in Kisarazu, Chiba prefecture.
Salmon trout are produced at the factory there, called the Kisarazu Plant by FRD Japan Co.
With headquarters in Saitama Prefecture, the company, which was founded in 2013, takes pride in its “eco-friendly, ocean-free technology to grow seafood on land.”
Microbes are adopted for the corporation’s specialized water treatment so that the sea creatures can be raised from eggs on land under a closed water circulation system.
Water for the pool to cultivate salmon trout is circulated within the works, meaning none is released into the seas and rivers. This makes water quality control easier too, eliminating the need to rely on antibiotics or other chemicals.
For land-based fish farming, the water temperature needs to be kept at a constant 18 degrees or lower, making electricity bills the largest expense for most in the business.
However, Chihiro Miyagawa, chief marketer of FRD Japan, said that is not the case with her company.
“We do not use seawater, whose temperature can reach up to 30 degrees during the summer,” she said. “Fish can be put out for the full year with no cooling costs that way.”
Fish at the factory are also not exposed to parasites from the ocean, much to the delight of consumers seeking seafood that is safe to eat raw.
Unsurprisingly, the salmon trout carries the brand name Okasodachi (Land-farmed).
As many as 10,000 fish totaling 30 tons are annually made and sold to supermarkets as well as conveyor-belt sushi restaurants and other eateries primarily in the Kanto region around the capital.
A new plant is also being constructed with investments from partners such as trading house Mitsui & Co.
The ultimate goal is to culture 3,500 tons per year–the level at which FRD Japan’s farming project will turn profitable.
This sort of farming can be erected anywhere if sites of appropriate sizes can be procured. Setting up one close to where seafood will be consumed might also help slash the carbon dioxide emissions linked to transportation and the long working hours of truck drivers.
An increasing number of major trading companies are expanding into farming salmon on land.
There are limited areas suited for salmon farming in the world’s two top-producing nations of Norway and Chile, despite the species’ global popularity as a sushi ingredient.
That puts salmon in short supply on a continual basis.
Mitsubishi Corp. put in place a joint venture with food manufacturer Maruha Nichiro Corp., looking to embark on constructing a semi-closed circulation facility for commercial purposes in Toyama Prefecture by the end of fiscal 2024.
Working with a Norwegian enterprise, Marubeni Corp. has initiated a fish-farming project at the foot of Mount Fuji. The first shipment of seafood produced there is scheduled for this year, with its yearly output estimated to reach 5,300 tons.
Itochu Corp., meanwhile, teamed with a company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. They are building one of the biggest plants in Japan in Tsu.
As water covers 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, many might mistakenly think resources from the oceans and seas are unlimited and infinite. However, there are limitations.
Though the global natural fish catch is stable, global demand for seafood continues rising. Total seafood consumption throughout the world doubled over the past half-century.
Consequently, 35 percent of aquatic resources are being excessively utilized, according to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Japan’s latest white paper on fisheries.
Only 65 percent are untouched, underutilized or properly used, compared with 90 percent half a century earlier.
Hoping to address the issue, fish farming has been playing a significant part in catching up with ballooning demand.
Aside from on-ground cultivation, conventional oceanic farm operators are seeking ways to make a sustainable form of fishing a reality.
For example, conveyor-belt sushi giant Kura Sushi Inc. pitched “AI Yellowtail” and “AI Cherry Bass” on its menu in 2022.
Cooperating with fish famers across Japan, Kura Sushi is incorporating a smart feeding system mounted with image recognition technology driven by artificial intelligence.
The timing and amount of food given is determined by AI, keeping in mind the movements and states of the fish. As farmers can check operation reports on their smartphones, they no longer have to head out to sea on boats three times a day to feed fish.
Since the introduction of AI, food expenditures have been cut by 10 percent, on average. Fewer leftovers are likewise expected to result in a lighter environmental burden on the oceans.
The costs of the system are borne by Kura Sushi.
“Farmers tell us that the framework allows them to reduce working hours and loads while still ensuring stable earnings,” explained Akihiro Tsuji, manager of Kura Sushi’s publicity department.
“They now feel secure about their children taking over their business.”
Apart from this endeavor, Kura Sushi is also turning to fish farming to minimize the volume of seafood discarded after it is hauled ashore. These efforts include the corporation raising fish caught in the wild that are too small to be sold in the market until they reach tradable sizes.
Consumers’ awareness of fisheries is alike changing.
Since its 2021 edition, the globally renowned Michelin Guide to fine dining started publicly commending chefs and restaurant operators that go to great lengths for environmental preservation and sustainable gastronomy with “green stars.”
The 2023 food possibility award was presented by Gurunavi Research Institute Inc. to fish raised through land-based aquaculture.
Fumio Yonezawa, a director of a group called Chefs for the Blue, which stages promotional campaigns regarding the sea and its food culture, recounted the attraction of artificially farmed fish.
“Cultured fish these days are marked by a great flavor and stable quality,” Yonezawa said. “They are not a mere substitute for natural seafood. They are rather among viable options as an independent source of food.”
However, the director urged caution at the same time.
“It should be noted that powdered fish flesh is used as food for farmed fish, too,” Yonezawa said.
“An era is arriving in which both chefs and consumers must pay due attention to prevent the overfishing of seafood.”