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The number of Pacific bluefin tuna has dropped to 2. 6% of pre-
But a university in Japan has found the answer.
"Japan is the world's largest tuna consumer, and we feel a sense of crisis," said Syunichi Kanke, a laboratory worker at the aquaculture Institute at Jindai University.
Jin Dai University is a leader in fish farming. -
The practice of fish farming in enclosure.
Since its inception in 1948, it has been working on sustainable solutions. The plan?
Fully farmed fishIt's a two-
The generation process that Jin Dai started in 1979.
First, scientists will collect eggs from captured adult fish, artificially fertilized in the laboratory, wait for the eggs to hatch into larvae, and raise them to adulthood.
In theory, once the larvae grow up and spawn, scientists simply repeat the process ---and voilà --full-
Circulating fish.
But not directly-forward.
Due to tuna's suicidal tendency and low larvae survival, it took more than 30 years to reach this important milestone.
In 2002, Jin Dai University finally succeeded.
Fertilized eggs using artificial incubation, farm-
Under the upbringing of parents, the university produced the world's first fully farmed Pacific bluefin tuna.
Today, the university will sell the harvest to restaurants and distributors around the world, with the aim of serving half of Japan's Pacific bluefin tuna consumption by 2020.
In 1970s and 1960, the University of jindai has successfully established a farm.
Japanese flounder fish, silverfish, Japanese parrot fish, Yellow Tail fish, Anbei jack fish, etc.
Fukuoka, Japan, is expected to become Silicon Valley in the United States, but it turns out that raising tuna is another matter.
"Porsche at Sea" is a powerful creature that is hard to handle at an aquatic farm.
They also have super
Sensitive to stimuli such as sound and light.
If they are not happy, they will swim into the nets at a speed of 30 miles per hour, usually dying from impact.
To keep the fish alive, scientists have installed intelligent lighting systems, developed a new feed, and built large round grips to stop suicide attempts.
This is only half the problem.
Since Pacific bluefin tuna does not breed frequently in artificial breeding, scientists use artificial insemination techniques to spawn.
However, it takes decades of trial and error to cultivate Fry to adulthood, harvest eggs and produce the world's first complete Fry
Circulating fish.
The university currently produces the third generation of all-farmed Pacific bluefin tuna, with steady growth in production.
As of the end of 2016, Jin Dai is expected to have cultivated 50,000 young people--
It had more than 25 times its harvest just 10 years ago.
While global demand for bluefin tuna in the Pacific has caused the problem, Japan has been listed as the world's largest consumer.
This country eats 80% of the world's tuna. -
About 40,000 tons per year.
The tuna's fat melted. in-
The texture of your mouth makes it a fixture on the sashimi menu, and the demand is a loss to the precious fish.
Aquaculture says Kanke-
Especially this. cycle process --
This is the only realistic solution because dining habits are unlikely to change in the near future.
While not perfect, it is a more sustainable alternative to traditional fisheries, which capture young people in the wild and place them in cages.
Jin Dai is also working on how to identify fish with the best genes by drawing DNA from blood samples, making bluefin tuna grow faster and stay fresher.
"Because we have these fish all our lives, we know them much better than before," Kanke said . ".
"We can make better decisions about the food we feed the fish and how we take care of the fish to get better quality fish.
"Today, aquaculture is a booming business in Japan.
Every year, universities ship teenagers to commercial fisheries across the country ---
Many of these operations are complete
According to Jin Dai's leadership, cycle farm.
At the same time, the university sells 2,000 adult fish for consumption to distributors every year, mainly by Aeon--
The largest supermarket chain in Japan.
More than just a financial center: there is a creative boom in Hong Kong. -
One in Tokyo and the other in Osaka-
Diners can try the farmed fish here and learn about the process.
Part of the profit from the restaurant is then invested in the research and development of the university, providing a sustainable business model.
Although Jin Dai has made great progress in the aquaculture industry, there is still one aspect that has not been completely solved.
Tuna consumes a lot of feed. -
About 11 mackerel fish ponds per 220-
Pound fish every day.
Related report: in order to avoid the reduction of mackerel fish inventory, China's smog has appeared in the world's largest air purifier, and the university is studying artificial feed and has added plant protein to it.
Through trials of this feed, researchers have been able to maintain an ideal fat --to-
The protein ratio, which may lack nuances of wild fish, is more consistent.
Looking ahead, the university is ambitious to increase tuna production to 150,000 annually-
This will meet about half of the demand in the Japanese market.
At the same time, Jindai expects production to double in the next few years.
"As the global population increases, it is unlikely that people will stop eating tuna," Kanke said . ".
"The government has to keep regulation in place, and we need to continue to promote it to the public --
Produce fully farmed tuna.