Totally Farmed Eels to Begin Online Trial Sales Tomorrow

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

Totally farmed eels to begin online trial sales (Source: NHK)

完全養殖ウナギ あすからオンラインで試験販売開始

2026年5月28日16:19

水産業

流通大手のイオンは、卵からふ化させて育てたいわゆる「完全養殖」のウナギを29日から試験的に販売すると発表しました。完全養殖のウナギを一般向けに販売するのは初めてだということで、安定供給につながるかが注目されます。

イオンは28日九州地方の水産会社が完全養殖で育てた500尾あまりのウナギを、29日からオンラインで試験的に販売すると発表しました。

価格は1尾あたり5000円ほどで、完全養殖のウナギの販売は、世界で初めてだとしています。

国内で流通するウナギは、ほとんどが海や川で捕獲された天然の稚魚を育てて養殖したもので、国や企業が人工的に育てたウナギが産んだ卵をふ化させる完全養殖の技術開発を進めています。

水産庁の試算では、1尾あたりの生産コストは10年前の2016年度の20分の1程度にあたる1800円あまりに下がったものの、依然、通常の養殖に比べて3倍以上高いことが課題になっています。

イオンの土谷美津子副社長は「将来的に完全養殖のウナギが普通になることが重要だ。本格的な販売ができるよう取り組み、時代に合った買いやすい価格で提供できるようになればいいと思う」と話していました。

ウナギの完全養殖をめぐってはこのほかにも食品大手の東洋水産や近畿大学などでも研究が進められていて、絶滅のおそれが指摘される二ホンウナギの安定供給につながるかが注目されます。

Translation

Totally Farmed Eels to Begin Online Trial Sales Tomorrow

May 28, 2026, 4:19 PM

Fisheries

Aeon, a major retailer, announced that starting on the 29th it would begin trial sales of totally farmed eels from egg to hatching and raising. This was the first time wholly farmed eels would be sold to the general public, and attention was focused on whether this could lead to a stable supply.

Aeon announced on the 28th that starting from the 29th, it would begin trial online sales of over 500 eels, raised using fully farmed methods by a Kyushu-based fisheries company,

The price was approximately 5,000 yen per eel, and this was said to be the world's first sale of totally farmed eels.

Most eels distributed in Japan were raised from wild juvenile eels caught in the sea or rivers. The government and companies were developing fully farmed eel technology, which involved hatching eggs laid by farm-raised eels.

According to estimates by the Fisheries Agency, the production cost per eel had fallen to just over 1,800 yen, about one-twentieth of what it was 10 years ago in fiscal year 2016. However, it remained more than three times higher than traditionally farmed eels, and that was a challenge.

Mitsuko Tsuchiya (土谷美津子), Vice President of Aeon, said, "It is important that wholly farmed eels become commonplace in the future. We are working to enable full-scale sales and hope to be able to offer them at an affordable price that is in line with the times."

In addition to this, research on the completely farmed eels was also being conducted by major food company Toyo Suisan and Kinki University, among others. Attention was focused on whether this would lead to a stable supply of the Japanese eel that was considered being endangered.

              So, Aeon announced that starting on the 29th it would begin trial sales of completely farmed eels. This was the first time that completely farmed eels being sold to the general public. As Japanese eel is considered as endangered, completely farmed eel is becoming more important.

Note:

1. There are a few reasons why wholly farm-raised eels are still so expensive in Japan:

a. Eels are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity: Unlike salmon or tilapia, eels have a very complicated life cycle. For decades, scientists did not even know exactly where Japanese eels spawned in the ocean. Producing viable eggs, hatching larvae, and raising them to adulthood required decades of research.

b. High mortality rates: Young eel larvae are delicate and require specialized diets and carefully controlled water conditions. Many do not survive, making production inefficient and expensive.

c. Specialized feed and labor: The Japanese Fisheries Research and Education Agency has stated that feed costs and labor costs are major contributors to the high price. Researchers have reduced production costs dramatically, but they remain much higher than for conventional eel farming.  (ChatGPT)