Okirai fishing area in Ōfunato, where Nissui's trial salmonid farming will be conducted.
Photo: Nissui.
Within its goal to reach a production capacity of 10,000 tons for its salmonid farming business by 2030, Japanese seafood corporation Nissui announced that it is taking another step forward in expanding the scale of its local production with the start of a new trial farming project in Ōfunato, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Developed in partnership with the Okirai Fisheries Cooperative, with the aim of an early transition to full-scale salmon farming operations, the company will begin conducting studies of the site environment and production methods starting in November 2025.
This new project in Ōfunato is Nissui's third in Iwate Prefecture, where it has been conducting and commercializing trial salmonid farming in cooperation with local governments and fishing cooperatives at two other locations since 2020.
In addition to the two businesses mentioned in Iwate Prefecture —the launch of a project in Ōtsuchi in 2022 and the start of trial farming in Rikuzentakata in 2023—, to date, the giant fishing group has expanded its bases in eastern Japan, led by Yumigahama Suisan Co., Ltd. in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, and conducting operations in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, and Sado, Niigata Prefecture.
Through efficient and stable production of high-quality farmed salmonid, the Group is working to expand the scale of its business. Thus, with the start of this new trial farming project to raise what is known in Japan as salmon trout, Nissui expects a further expansion of production scale.
At the same time, the company also seeks to contribute to the local community through industrial development and the creation of new employment opportunities in Ōfunato, which in recent years has seen a significant decline in the volume of autumn chum salmon catches, reflected in the amount of fish landed at the city's fish market.
All of this is part of Nissui's long-term vision ‘GOOD FOODS 2030’ announced in April 2022, which places sustainability as a key initiative for creating corporate value and, within its marine products business, aims to establish sustainable aquaculture operations.
Based on it, as a new phase toward achieving that goal, Nissui Group formulated its Medium-Term Management Plan 'GOOD FOODS Recipe2' in April 2025. Focusing on the theme of 'Enhancement of value chain resilience', the plan is structured around three basic strategies: strengthening the business portfolio, deepening sustainability management, and strengthening governance.
In this plan, Nissui explained the strategy for each of its businesses and, within the strategy for the marine products business, in the section dedicated to so-called "Japanese salmon," it highlighted two key points. On the one hand, the acquisition and expansion of fish farms and the expansion and upgrades to juvenile production sites; on the other, the expansion of the production system from 2,800 tons to 10,000 tons by 2030.
Regarding the location of the new trial salmonid farming operation in Ōfunato, in its note about the project's start, Nissui explained that the city is located in the central part of the Sanriku coast and has excellent fishing grounds along its intricate estuary-like coastline that opens onto the open sea.
According to japan-guide.com, the Sanriku coast is "a dramatic, rocky shoreline with countless bays, cliffs and coves that stretches for over 300 kilometers along the Pacific Coast of the Tohoku Region, spanning Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures."
Thanks to its calm marine environment, it is a very active area in aquaculture, with wakame seaweed, scallop, and ascidians (sea squirts) operations. Nissui's local partner, Okirai Fisheries Cooperative, also participates in the processing and sale of wakame and other products, as well as independently operates a fixed net fishing operation.
