Atlantic Salmon 'Commercial Digital Production' ... Taking First Step in Busan!

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan City is taking the first step toward the country's first commercial production of Atlantic salmon.

Busan City and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will hold the "Smart Aquaculture Cluster Testbed Groundbreaking Ceremony" at 2:30 PM on the 19th at the site of the Pukyong National University Fisheries Science Research Institute in Gijang-gun.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be attended by Lee Byung-jin, Busan Deputy Mayor, Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Jeong Dong-man, Member of the National Assembly, Jang Young-su, President of Pukyong National University, and Heo Yoon-hong, CEO of GS Construction, to celebrate the start of the Smart Aquaculture Cluster Testbed project.

The Smart Aquaculture Cluster project is a business that dramatically increases productivity by transforming the aquaculture industry, which relied on individual experiential knowledge, into a digital industry by integrating technologies such as Data, Network, and Artificial Intelligence. It is being promoted as a key national agenda of the new government.

By transforming the aquaculture industry into a digital industry, cutting-edge sensors detect subtle changes that are difficult for humans to recognize, and artificial intelligence quickly identifies abnormal situations, enabling immediate response.

The Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster is a project to develop a site area of 67,320 ㎥, including a smart aquaculture testbed and supporting infrastructure. The total project cost amounts to 40 billion KRW.

Upon completion of the cluster project, it is analyzed that there will be a production inducement effect of 71.2 billion KRW and an employment inducement effect of 425 jobs.

Since being selected in the 2019 public contest, the project has undergone permits and approvals for development activities, and currently, foundational construction such as water intake facilities, drainage management, and electrical equipment is in the final stages. The testbed to be constructed is scheduled to be completed in the first half of next year.

The testbed will feature an eco-friendly aquaculture farm applying advanced technologies such as sensors, communication and data storage devices, and a smart aquaculture platform, using a recirculating filtration system that reuses over 99% of the cultured water.

Here, approximately 500 tons of Atlantic salmon will be raised annually using smart technology.

Additionally, an R&D center promoting high-density production, development of salmon-specific feed, and professional workforce training projects, as well as a research enterprise support office, will be established to allow research institutions to focus on technology development.

Most of the salmon consumed domestically is imported, and the import volume has increased from about 40,000 tons in 2020 to about 60,000 tons in 2021, showing a trend of increasing domestic salmon consumption.

Therefore, if the project is successfully promoted, it is expected that domestically produced Korean salmon will be served on dining tables.

Lee Byung-jin, Busan Deputy Mayor, said, "This project is the beginning of transforming labor-intensive aquaculture into a technology- and capital-intensive knowledge industry and will be an opportunity for technological innovation that changes the paradigm of Korea's aquaculture industry." He added, "We will strive to ensure that Busan plays a leading role in the domestic smart aquaculture industry."

Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "The Busan cluster is expected to be a stepping stone for innovative growth by combining public and private capabilities to create new jobs and revitalize the regional economy." He added, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will also spare no support."

The Smart Aquaculture Cluster project started in Busan in 2019 and has been promoted in five regions selected as project sites: Goseong in Gyeongnam, Sinan in Jeonnam, Gangneung and Yangyang in Gangwon, and Pohang in Gyeongbuk. One new site is expected to be selected this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.