Fully farmed Japanese eels

We are working on the development of artificial seedling production for Japanese eel on Okinoerabu Island, Kagoshima Prefecture. "Seedlings" refer to juvenile fish used in aquaculture. Eel farming uses glass eels as seedlings, but currently, only wild glass eels caught in estuaries are used as seedlings, and artificially produced glass eels are not yet utilized.

Due to a decline in population, the Japanese eel was designated as an Endangered IB species (species facing a high risk of extinction in the near future) on the IUCN Red List in 2014. Because of their rarity, glass eels are also known as "white diamonds," and issues such as poaching have arisen. If mass production through seedling production becomes possible, the complete cultivation and commercialization of Japanese eel can be achieved, contributing to market stability, the prevention of overfishing of natural resources, and the preservation of Japanese food culture and marine resources. Furthermore, we believe it can also contribute to the local economy as a new industry on Okinoerabu Island.