TOKYO - Japanese exports of fishery products in 2025 hit a record high 423.1 billion yen ($2.6 billion), up 17.2 percent from a year earlier, reflecting the government's push to expand consumption of Japanese seafood abroad amid declining domestic demand, a government report showed Friday.
In volume terms, exports grew 42.9 percent from the previous year to 640,000 tons, according to the White Paper on Fisheries for fiscal 2025.
"The sustainable development of the fisheries industry is reliant on capturing the global food market through the massive expansion of seafood exports," it said.
By item in order of value, scallops topped exports, followed by yellowtail and pearls.
Hong Kong imported the most Japanese fishery seafood. The United States and Vietnam were in second and third place.
Domestic consumption of seafood per capita in fiscal 2024 nearly halved to 21.3 kilograms from the fiscal 2001 peak, prompting the government to devise new ways to promote fishery exports.
For example, the government added in 2025 oysters and processed oyster products, as well as processed scallop products, to its list of priority export items alongside fish such as yellowtail and sea bream.
It has also been providing financial support to businesses in the industry, as well as assistance to ensure facilities meet the necessary hygiene standards of export destinations, according to the report.
The white paper also highlighted fish farming, noting that its ability to provide a stable supply compared with wild catches means aquaculture "will likely play a pivotal role in the future of the fisheries industry."
Around 80 percent of the global supply of farmed yellowtail is produced in Japan, with some products being valued overseas as premium brands thanks to the establishment of full-cycle aquaculture technology, the report said.
In addition, while the country currently relies on imports from Chile and Norway for the majority of its salmon and trout, the development of farming techniques for these types of fish has been advancing in recent years.
The report also noted growing expectations for land-based aquaculture, which is less susceptible to fluctuations in natural conditions such as sea temperatures, with startups and major companies joining the fray.
