Japanese Market Brimming with New Business Opportunities for Freshwater Eel Technology

Forsea, the company behind the technology, claims that freshwater eels could be produced more sustainably by achieving cell densities of over 300 m cells/ml with minimal use of culture media ingredients.

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According to Forsea, which focuses on profitable seafood production, this cell density was the highest ever recorded.

This development will enable an efficient and scalable supply of freshwater fish, especially for the Japanese market, where it is a popular delicacy. However, overfishing has caused damage to aquatic ecosystems and negatively affects its popularity.

Business Opportunities for Eel in Japan

Moria Shmoni, CTO of Forsea, said: “This advancement in cell density shows the strength of organoid technologies.”

This is a confirmation of our approach to high-efficiency seafood aquaculture to achieve both economic and sustainable goals.

This advancement creates a significant commercial opportunity in Japan. Japan is the world's largest consumer of freshwater eels, accounting for 50,% of all global sales by 2023, or 140,000 t.

The industry is unable to meet market demand, but Forsea's technology enables the cultivation of fish tissue outside the natural habitat.

Cultured Eel Technology Works

According to the company, the method mimics an animal's natural tissue growth as closely as possible. The company says the method "bypasses" the scaffolding phase and relies less on growth factors.

Roee Nair, CEO and founder of Foresea, says organoid-based technology is less expensive than alternative technologies.

The cost of farmed fish will be lower than the market price if we can achieve this cell density using minimal resources.

The new technology could "ease pressure" on the world's eel population, reducing the environmental impacts of traditional eel farms.