Tuna has been popular, especially as sushi, among the Japanese for many centuries. But as the popularity of Japanese food has continued to rise throughout the world, the supply of tuna is now considered to be reaching the point of depletion. This is especially true for northern bluefin tuna, which has been highly praised for its delicate taste and thus has been overfished in recent years.

Alarmed by this situation, the Japanese government started a project to cultivate bluefin tuna in 1970, inviting numerous top-level universities to attempt to offer possible solutions. But as no achievements were made during the three-year project term, the universities ended their research efforts with the exception of Kinki University.

Kinki University, also known as Kindai, is a forerunner in fish cultivation and was able to continue its research since its Fisheries Laboratory operates on a stand-alone basis. It earned the money for its bluefin tuna research by selling other, more expensive fish such as sea bream and flatfish that it had already successfully raised. And after 32 years of intensive R&D, the laboratory surprised the world in 2002 by succeeding in the complete farming of northern bluefin tuna.

Current Kinki University's Fisheries Laboratory Director Shigeru Miyashita looked back on the unique history of the laboratory that was established in 1948 by Koichi Seko, the first president of Kinki University. He also served as the first director of the laboratory and had a very strong determination to cultivate the sea. Led by the enthusiasm of Seko and other directors that followed, the laboratory became the world's first institution to succeed in the full cultivation of flatfish in 1965, followed by the cultivation of another 17 species to date. Furthermore, this laboratory invented the epoch-making cage farming method of fish with fry raised in net enclosures in the 1990s. "Today, this has become the standard method of raising fish at aquaculture farms around the world," says Miyashita

More recently in 2013, Kinki University's Fisheries Laboratory opened a restaurant in Osaka, in order to upgrade the value and image of cultivated fish. Directly operated by the university, the restaurant serves fish raised in the laboratory, including its bluefin tuna, which is now valued highly as and known as "Kindai tuna." The restaurant is extremely popular for serving fresh, tasty fish that rivals any naturally grown or caught fish.

Miyashita further noted that Kindai tuna has also come to be registered as a sustainable, delicious and safe fish by the Blue Seafood Guide, a guidebook issued by the "Sailors for the Sea," an oceanic nature preservation and education institution. Furthermore, the same institution has registered the Kinki University restaurant as the world's first "Gold Sustainable Partner." This is a worthwhile acknowledgement by a global third party, since it shows that the university's restaurant not only serves tasty and safe cultivated fish, but also grows various fish species, including Kindai tuna that are eco-friendly and sustainable.

Future issues

Due to the rising prices of fish meal, Miyashita said the laboratory today is promoting the research of feed for its Kindai tuna and other cultivated fish that can be produced from vegetable proteins such as soy meal and corn.

Meanwhile, as the global population continues to grow, Kinki University vies to expand the sales and cultivation opportunities for Kindai tuna to overseas countries. Already popular in New York, the university is exploring other sales channels, so as to uplift the overall value and image of cultured fish.

As has so far been introduced, Kinki University and its Fisheries Laboratory seek to contribute to Japan's fish farming industry, while respecting sustainability and preserving the natural resources of the planet as a whole. Their next plan is to increase production of Kindai tuna fry and return the hatchlings to the oceans throughout the world. "In this way, the bluefin tuna, a precious marine resource, can be protected, while retaining the sustainability of tuna fishing on a global scale, Miyashita said.