Japan salmon hub in Niigata Pref. eyes full farming as wild catch plunges 97.5%

Murakami, a city in Niigata Prefecture, is renowned for its chum salmon production, with the tradition dating back to the Heian period. However, salmon catches have plummeted by 97.5% in recent years. In the Miomote River, the catch dwindled from 55,718 in 2015 to just 1,415 in 2025. To combat this crisis, the municipality is collaborating with Okayama University of Science's Next-Generation Aquaculture Center, where researchers are attempting to raise chum salmon in land-based aquaculture.

Associate Professor Toshimasa Yamamoto and his team are working to raise salmon to 2-3 kilograms during a two-year commission period beginning in April 2026. The team hopes that closed-cycle aquaculture, a method that raises fry into parent fish and collects eggs for the next generation, can be achieved, making it the first of its kind for chum salmon.

If successful, this innovation could revolutionize salmon farming. Yamamoto believes that applying techniques used for bluefin tuna, also a strong swimmer, could prevent salmon from colliding and dying in crowded tanks. While the feasibility of closed-cycle aquaculture is not impossible, the municipal official and Yamamoto emphasize the importance of listening to the concerns of those involved in salmon processing and distribution.

With salmon catches declining globally due to warming waters, shorter growth periods, and changes in zooplankton species, researchers are striving to raise the return rate of salmon. In Niigata Prefecture, however, the return rate has dropped to a record low of 0.06% in 2025. The Miomote River Salmon Fishery Association warns that without intervention, the number of returning salmon could disappear entirely, posing a survival crisis for the fishing industry.