Fukushima supermarket sells red salmon raised by land-based farming

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - A supermarket in northeastern Japan’s Fukushima began selling sockeye salmon, also known as red salmon, that were raised through land-based farming for sashimi and sushi, making it the world's first successful attempt at land-based aquaculture for red salmon.

Ichii, the operator of the supermarket, stated that this method was particularly important as red salmon is susceptible to diseases.

The red salmon cultivated through land-based farming demonstrated resistance to diseases and parasites, Ichi was reported as saying by Japan’s Jiji Press.

One customer expressed delight, stating, "I'm delighted that I'll be able to enjoy raw red salmon without any worries about safety."

To achieve this milestone, Ichii collaborated with Okayama University of Science and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp.

The university developed special fish farm water, which accelerated the growth process of the red salmon. While it typically takes around four years for red salmon to reach an adult size suitable for shipping, this new method shortened the period to just a year and a half.

During a trial run, 200 out of 1,000 juvenile red salmon grew to the ideal size for sale, approximately 50 centimetres in length and weighing around 1.2 kilogrammes.

Currently, more than 60 per cent of the salmon and trout sold in Japan are imported from overseas. The prices of these imported fish have doubled since 2015 due to various factors, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. - BERNAMA