{
  "id": 11837823,
  "title": "Japan salmon hub in Niigata Pref. eyes full farming as wild catch plunges 97.5%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/japan-salmon-hub-in-niigata-pref-eyes-full-farming-as-wild-catch",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-04T04:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261001/p2a/00m/0sc/029000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "NIIGATA -- The Niigata Prefecture city of Murakami is known as a leading producer of chum salmon on the Sea of Japan coast. The city's history with th",
  "key_points": [
    "Niigata Prefecture's salmon catch plummeted 97.5% from 55,718 in 2015 to 1,415 in 2025.",
    "Successful innovation could revolutionize salmon farming and prevent industry survival crisis."
  ],
  "editors_take": "A plunge in wild salmon catches prompts a Japanese municipality to pursue full-cycle land-based aquaculture, potentially revolutionizing salmon farming and saving the local fishing industry.",
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/11837823.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Retro Japan in Photos: Sakura City Hall in Chiba Pref. resembles stacked boxes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/retro-japan-in-photos-sakura-city-hall-in-chiba-pref-resembles",
        "published": "2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}