Japan's Salmon Farming Output Surges 64.6%: Iwate Prefecture's Transformation and Its Hong Kong-Backed Foray into the Chinese Market

Japan's salmon farming industry has witnessed a boom in 2025: Iwate Prefecture's marine-farmed salmon output reached 3,344 tons, a year-on-year surge of 64.6%. It is expected to exceed 4,000 tons in 2026, making the prefecture Japan's second-largest salmon farming hub. This shift from "wild catch" to "artificial farming" is not only a survival strategy for the traditional fishing industry but also harbors its ambition to tap into the Chinese market.

From "Salmon Catching" to "Salmon Farming": Iwate Prefecture's Fishery Breakthrough

The shift stems from the depletion of wild salmon resources—currently, the catch of wild salmon in Iwate Prefecture is less than 1% of that before the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, forcing fishermen to turn to aquaculture. The region has rapidly advanced commercialization through the "fishery cooperative-enterprise" model: six municipalities including Kuji and Miyako collaborate with clear divisions of labor. The Kuji Fishery Cooperative, in partnership with Nichimo Corporation, produced 815 tons of fish, while the Shin-Otsuchi Fishery Cooperative, leveraging technology from Nissui Group, boosted its coho salmon output to 1,256 tons, a year-on-year increase of 190%.

Shadow of Nuclear-Contaminated Water: An Unavoidable Safety Hurdle

Iwate Prefecture's aquaculture areas are adjacent to the discharge zone of Fukushima's nuclear-contaminated water, and the risk of radioactive residues has continued to arouse concerns in Asian markets. While the Japanese government insists that "monitoring results meet safety standards," the high requirements of the Chinese market for origin safety and full-chain traceability remain core obstacles for its entry into China.

Leveraging Hong Kong: Okamura Foods' Outpost for Entering China

Okamura Foods, Japan's largest salmon farmer, plans to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong in November 2025, positioning it as a "springboard" for entering the Chinese mainland market. Relying on Hong Kong's advantages as an international seafood trade hub, it can realize high-frequency direct supply of fresh salmon and connect with high-end catering and supermarkets in the mainland through cold chain channels, reducing the trial-and-error cost of market entry. Previously, it established branches in four Southeast Asian countries, all of which are profitable, accumulating experience in overseas operations.

Competition in the Asian Market: A Tug-of-War Between Quality and Trust

China is the core growth engine of the Asian salmon market, with its import sources increasingly diversified. Japan aims to build its brand around "pristine waters" and "precision aquaculture," but compared with competitors like Norway and Chile, its biggest bottleneck is consumer trust. Industry insiders point out that for Japanese salmon to gain a foothold in China, it needs to provide transparent water quality data and a full-lifecycle product traceability system to alleviate concerns about nuclear-contaminated water.

The transformation of Japan's salmon industry is both a passive response to the resource crisis and an active layout to seize the Asian market. However, the ongoing controversy over nuclear-contaminated water and the safety standards of the Chinese market mean that its path to entering China still faces multiple challenges. The balance between "aquaculture output growth" and "trust growth" will determine its final position in the Asian salmon market.