Aquaculture in the Uwa Sea (1)
The Uwa Sea, off the western coast of Ehime Prefecture, is one of Japan’s leading fish-farming regions. The sea is particularly famed for its madai (red sea bream): more than half of all madai farmed in Japan comes from the city of Uwajima and the nearby town of Ainan.
[Captions]
Uwajima
Madai (red sea bream): first (20,092 metric tons)
Shima-aji (white trevally): first (1,764 t)
Buri (yellowtail or Japanese amberjack): third (11,311 t)
Kanpachi (greater amberjack): eighth (1,399 t)
Ainan
Madai (red sea bream): second (11,281 metric tons)
Shima-aji (white trevally): third (426 t)
Buri (yellowtail or Japanese amberjack): ninth (1,801 t)
Kanpachi (greater amberjack): fourth (3,154 t)
Note: Production volume and rankings compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2017.
・Uwajima taimeshi
An Uwajima delicacy, taimeshi is raw sea bream marinated in soy sauce and served over hot rice.
Initiatives for more sustainable aquaculture
The town of Ainan has pioneered several initiatives that aim to make fish farming more sustainable and less of a burden on the marine ecosystem.
[Captions]
Fish farmers in Ainan have replaced the live feed they used in the past with dry pellets, which do not pollute the sea to any significant degree.
A computer-controlled feeding system supplies data to farmers’ smartphones, helping them stay informed about what goes on in their enclosures and letting them feed their fish from anywhere with the push of a button.
