The owner and operator of a coho salmon farm in Onagawa in northeast Japan, Marukin Co., has become the first in Japan to acquire Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification.
Together with the Ocean Outcomes Japan Program (now merged with Seafood Legacy) and Fisherman Japan, Marukin launched the Miyagi Onagawa Coho Salmon aquaculture improvement project in 2017 when it rebuilt its operations following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which devastated its entire facility.
As part of this regeneration, the company decided to focus on responsible aquaculture, making improvements to meet ASC standards such as protecting ecosystems and habitats, using sustainable feed and smolt, managing diseases and implementing socially responsible policies.
“I hope our efforts can motivate other seafood farmers throughout Japan to take on similar endeavours because demand for environmentally friendly farm-raised seafood will continue to rise as wild caught production decreases,” commented Shingo Suzuki, managing director of Marukin.
The ASC eco-label assures consumers that Marukin’s coho salmon are raised using sustainable feed and smolt, with a socially responsible farm operation that minimises impacts to the surrounding habitat and ecosystem. In addition, Marukin has a robust traceability system in place ensuring transparency of its production and processing operations.
“I hope more people in Japan can get to know about sustainable seafood through our ASC-certified coho salmon and become our partners in creating a new seafood industry that will continue to thrive into the future,” said Shingo Suzuki.
