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Nissui's Bluefin Tuna aquaculture business started in 2006
when the Company started capital participation in Nakatani Suisan.
This led to the expansion in production scale of Nakatani Suisan.
Through reinforcement of equipment including extensive installation
of additional fish cages in Koshikijima, Nissui aims to increase
the annual output from 300 tons in 2007 to 700 tons in 2008, and
then further to approximately 1,200-1,300 tons in 2009.
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| Koyomaru of Kyowa Suisan that catches Yokowa |
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| A towed fish cages for transporting Yokowa |
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| Barge remodeled for transport use |
To expand the production scale, the secure obtainment of young
fish is also important. In summer 2007, Nissui started trials of
a hatchery system by cultivating parent fish and using their fertilized
eggs; however this system will only be commercialized in the future.
Nissui also noticed growing Bluefin Tuna weighing 3 to 4kg called
"Yokowa", which are caught by the round haul netters of
Kyowa Suisan Co.,Ltd., a Nissui Group company. Kyowa Suisan catches various
kinds of fish in the Sea of Japan using round haul netters and Yokowa
is among those fish sold in the market. By purchasing the Yokowa
alive and cultivating them, we will be able to use resources more
effectively and increase the added value of the fish, though various
procedures will be required.
This challenge began in 2007. Nissui purchases on-the-sea Yokowa
caught in June and July by Kyowa Suisan and receives them into towed
fish cages, after which they are transported to taming fish
cages in Tsushima and Oki by offshore towboats and tugboats,
and further transported from these taming fish cages to farming
fish cages set in the various regions mentioned above. Fish
received from Kyowa Suisan are towed slowly and carefully against
the Tsushima current so that they do not feel stressed. If a sudden
change in the tidal direction deforms the towed fish cage,
the fish may panic as they lose the space in which to stay. The
fish may even die. On the other hand, if it takes too much time
to transport the fish, efficiency of the business is reduced. To
tackle these difficulties, in the same year, Nissui remodeled barges
(*, under patent application) and tried using them in transporting
Yokowa, in addition to transport with fish cages.
Although Nissui Marine Enterprises,Ltd. was in charge of remodeling
the barges, Nissui, Kyowa Suisan and Nakatani Suisan joined the
effort through mutual discussion of their ideas for this unprecedented
use of the barge. Nissui seeks to create new value through such
cooperation between Group companies within a region by calling it
"Local Links." Nissui's aquaculture business using
young fish obtained by fishing and cultivating fish (Yokowa) caught
with round haul nets is operated with the intent to mass-produce
valuable Bluefin Tuna through such Local Links.
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