Fisheries Laboratory

Fisheries Laboratory

Fisheries Laboratery

Birth of cloned red sea bream in the Fisheries Laboratory in Shirahama - A world's first -
Using chromosome manipulation and other techniques, assistant Keitaro Kato and fellow research team members at the Fisheries Laboratory in Shirahama have succeeded in cloning major red sea bream. These results were reported to the Japan Fisheries Association conference that was held in April 1999 at the Tokyo University of Fisheries.
Although others have already cloned freshwater killifish and carp as well as the seawater left-eye flounder, the cloning of major red sea bream, a highly desirable commercial species, is an inspiring success.
At present, these laboratories are rearing about 5,000 clones in net cages in the sea and elsewhere. Thus, increasing numbers of another species of cloned fish are destined to make it to the dining table. In just a few years, after commercial breeding techniques are established, people will be able to afford and enjoy the delectable taste of high quality, cloned red sea bream.

A worlds first: success in cloning the red sea bream

A world's first: success in cloning the red sea bream

The shift from fish hunting to fish farming
The Fisheries Laboratory was originally established as a marine research center in 1948 in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture. In addition to this forerunner, Kinki University now has other fisheries laboratories at Nachi Katsuura and Shingu City, with associated facilities in Susami and Nakahechi as well as the Ohshima annex in Kushimoto. On the Japan Sea coast, we also maintain the Toyama Fisheries Laboratory at Shinminato City in Toyama Prefecture. More recently, from September 1998, Kinki University established a new research base with fish farming facilities for cloned red sea bream and other species at Keten Bay in Setouchi on Amami-Ohshima Island, Kagoshima.
Research at these facilities has a practical focus and is dedicated to improving the breeding of commercial fish species. In pursuit of the goal of better-tasting and affordable fish, researchers carry out experiments to achieve successful commercial breeding techniques. The results of their endeavors are consistently world-class.Kinki University established the system for marine fish farming involving the raising of fish penned in net cages, also known as floating net crawls. Recently Kinki University began research into breeding and raising yellowtail using this method. This was followed by swift success with other superior commercial species that were formerly not amenable to farming, such as major red sea bream, amberjack, and striped jack. Research is also underway into raising freshwater species such as trout and sweetfish, and, in a completely novel development, the sturgeon. Researchers have also had success in crossbreeding, producing fish such as kindai, burihira, and machidai.
Meanwhile, the net crawl technique originally developed by Kinki University has spread to become the overwhelming system of choice for marine fish farming in Japan. This method is also now spreading to other parts of the world. At the same time, the tremendous significance of our fisheries research, which aims to sustain fish stocks by making the shift from fish hunting to fish farming, is now acknowledged the world over.

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Challenge to sustain the future supply of fish
Research at the fisheries laboratories promises to improve commercial species. For example, by effectively applying Kinki University's expertise in biotechnology, researchers at Shirahama recently succeeded in cloning superior major red sea bream.

Opening the way to future large-scale farming
Effort has also been placed on research into the breeding and rearing methods for deep-sea fish such as tuna and mackerel. In particular, there would be a great economic benefit if bluefin tuna could be farmed. Here too, Kinki University has succeeded in rearing bluefin in captivity for 23 years from the juvenile stage - longer than any other research center in the world. Researchers are now grappling with the challenge of self-sustainable farming: obtaining viable eggs from farmed adults, and raising the fry to become the next generation in a continuous cyclical process. In another world first, university researchers have already tagged and released some farmed fry. Their success in advancing bluefin tuna farming technology will no doubt bring changes to the whole fishing industry.
The results obtained by the practical research at Kinki University fisheries laboratories are without par, and we can proudly claim to be meeting the challenge to sustain the future supply of fish.