According to a reporter in Tokyo, despite being in an unsuitable location for aquaculture, the Ibaraki Prefecture, which boasts the largest mackerel catch in Japan, is experimenting with new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in the process of farming mackerel in cages.
Japan is testing a system that uses video cameras and AI to measure fish size, allowing farmers to better plan feeding. Photo: asia.nikkei.com
This project began implementation last fall. The Ibaraki government has invested in building an underwater camera system and other devices to monitor water temperature and fish conditions, while also applying AI to control the timing and quantity of feed for the fish.
By utilizing this new technology, the prefectural government hopes to develop an automated AI feeding system for fish to minimize feed waste, thereby reducing farming costs and conserving the marine environment.
Students from Kaiyo High School are participating in the project, having proactively offered to assist the Ibaraki government because the school’s administration views the project as a great opportunity for students to learn about aquaculture. Each week, members of the Kaiyo High School fishing club visit the farming area at Nakaminato Fishing Port to feed the fish, remove dead fish, and provide data for the AI to learn independently.
In an interview with reporters, Reon Uchikoshi, a student at Kaiyo High School, stated, “I want to gain experience in aquaculture and apply it in the future.”
The stakeholders involved in the project aim to launch the first fish raised with this new technology into the market around this fall.
