News Releases 2022

May 20, 2022

Fukushima Onshore Aquaculture Demonstration Project Started

-"Kamome Mirai Fisheries Company" aims for sustainable fisheries industry-

JGC Holdings Corporation announces that JGC Japan Corporation, a domestic EPC business company, has been awarded a contract to form a new company, "Kamome Mirai Fisheries Company" to develop technology and demonstrate production in the field of onshore aquaculture together with building associated sales channels.

1. Background and Objectives of the New Company

In recent years, with the growing global demand for marine products, land-based aquaculture, which controls the fish production environment, has come to be viewed as a sustainable fisheries industry. Among the advancements which are contributing to the stabilization of production in the industry are the closed-loop onshore aquaculture system*1 which utilizes advanced water treatment technology that both reduces the space requirement and minimizes the burden on the environment. On the other hand, high production costs continue to be an issue.

This particular project is a closed-loop onshore aquaculture system that makes full use of the engineering technologies developed by the JGC Group to create an "Integrated Environmental Management System" which will visualize the production environment by means of sensors and images, and analyze the collected data using AI and other methods.

The project also aims to reduce costs by stabilizing production and improving production efficiency through the use of such a system, and furthermore, to develop it in a way that will allow us to utilize our knowledge and experience in the field of land-based aquaculture and to achieve these objectives we are working with fisheries research institutes, universities, and businesses with knowledge and experience in the field of aquaculture to reduce production costs and improve safety through the improvement of feed, fry and other factors as we develop our business over the entire supply chain, including the supply (sales) of highly-safe products.

In preparation for the start of this project, JGC Japan Corporation has been conducting test production of fish at a closed-cycle onshore aquaculture facility in Okayama Prefecture since 2021, and has accumulated aquaculture know-how. Based on these results, by the winter of 2022 the newly established company is beginning construction of a plant equipped with an integrated environmental management system in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, which will demonstrate the optimal combination of environment and equipment that will enable stable fish production. The plant will begin full-scale production in 2024, targeting first mackerel, which is in high demand for as a fish for fresh consumption, and then other species of fish, depending on the needs of companies and local governments.

In the future, the new company plans not only to establish production technology for onshore aquaculture, but also to develop a brand line of marine products associated with the local area. In addition, we aim to establish a new fisheries industry, moving away from "product out," in which whatever fish are caught are supplied to the market, to "market in," where we provide fish that meet the needs of our customers by utilizing the advantages of onshore aquaculture, which allows for advanced environmental control and expanding our on-land cultivated fish species.

In this project, we are trying to explore new possibilities to revitalize the local industry in cooperation with Iwaki Fisheries Company (President: Kenji Suzuki; headquartered in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture) which has been working to promote the project and will become a partner in the joint promotion of the project.

2. Outline of Kamome Mirai Fisheries Company

Representative: Hiroyuki Usui (JGC Japan Corporation, Future Strategy Office)
Founding: 30 August 2021
Capital: ¥100 Million
Location: Namie City, Fukushima Prefecture
Business Overview: Demonstration production and technological development in the field of onshore aquaculture
Shareholders: JGC Japan Corporation - 95%; Iwaki Fisheries Company - 5%

3. Future Policy

The JGC Group is committed to the protection of marine resources through the spread of land-based aquaculture under the new corporate mission "Enhancing planetary health" set forth in our long-term management vision "Vision 2040. We will contribute to the creation of a healthy future for people and the earth, while protecting marine resources 2 through the promotion of land-based aquaculture.

  • 1 Closed-loop aquaculture systems are production methods for fish farming in an artificial environment. Advanced water treatment technology allows aquaculture on land by purifying and reusing water while circulating seawater and freshwater in the aquarium.
  • 2 https://www.unicef.or.jp/kodomo/sdgs/17goals/14-sea/

    Closed-loop Onshore Aquaculture Demonstration Plant (Image)

    Closed-loop Onshore Aquaculture Demonstration Plant (Image)