SEAPA is an oyster farming basket manufacturer headquartered in the suburbs of Adelaide in southern Australia, established in 1998. The company set up SEAPA Japan. In 2018, at the premises of the Knowledge Capital Association in Grand Front Osaka, as an Asian hub in addition to its European and North American offices.<\/p>\n
SEAPA Japan is disseminating the novel method of growing oysters in basket units in the sea, which has never been seen before in Japan. The basket units, swinging in the sea, rotate each oyster, one by one individually, and their movement gives a positive effect on the growth of oysters. SEAPA Japan distributes the basket units (modularized plastic products with the size of shoulder width) while teaching this revolutionary oyster farming techniques to people in the fishery industry in Japan.<\/p>\n
Japan’s fishing industry faces many challenges, including an ageing population, unstable earnings, hard labor, and changes in the marine environment. SEAPA is proud of contributing to Japan\u2019s associated industry by widening the aquaculture system with specialized products developed in Australia.<\/p>\n
There is growing demand in Japanese market, especially at oyster bars in metropolitan areas, for small, round-shelled oysters with thicker, more elastic flesh, which are common in Western markets. Using the SEAPA aquaculture system, they can produce high-quality oysters efficiently (and effortlessly!) and many oyster producers across the country, especially the younger generation, are now starting to introduce it.<\/p>\n
Given a distribution map of oyster production all over Japan, we find it logical to locate SEAPA Japan\u2019s hub in Osaka, the center of western Japan. One of the most important workplaces for them is on fishing boats, where close communications with the fishermen is essential for further development of the aquaculture technology. The key to success is frequent access to the production areas. So Osaka is well suited in this respect.<\/p>\n
SEAPA Japan has a role to play in cultivating not only the Japanese market but also other Asian markets. China is the world’s largest producer of oysters, followed by South Korea. Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines are among the many countries who want to develop oyster farming without the need for feeding. Interest is being shown in all these countries by producers and government officials, and once the coronavirus crisis is over, they are expected to come to Osaka via the Kansai International Airport to observe the success of oyster farming introduced by SEAPA.<\/p>\n