BUSAN — Atlantic salmon, until now supplied entirely through imports, has been raised at a land-based smart aquaculture facility in Busan and is reaching the market for the first time. It is the first of South Korea's six smart aquaculture clusters to move from farming to actual production and shipment, a step that officials say lays the groundwork for reducing the country's reliance on imported salmon.
The Busan Metropolitan Government said on the 29th that it will hold a tasting event on the 30th at the smart aquaculture farm in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, to mark the first shipment of Atlantic salmon.
The salmon came from the Busan smart aquaculture cluster, built with a total investment of 40 billion won, including 22 billion won from the central government, 12 billion won from the city and 6 billion won in private capital. The facility, with a total floor area of 9,166 square meters on a 67,320-square-meter site inside the Institute of Fisheries Sciences at Pukyong National University, was completed in December 2024.
At its core is a recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, an eco-friendly land-based farming technology. Using advanced information and communications technology and automated equipment, the system reuses culture water and controls water quality and temperature in real time.
The Atlantic salmon, raised from eyed eggs stocked in the second half of 2024, has now been shipped for the first time, giving the facility a production base of 500 tons a year. The city says managing water temperature, water quality and feed supply through data makes it easier to deliver salmon of consistent quality throughout the year. Officials also expect the project to diversify a domestic salmon supply chain now dominated by imports.
Building on the first shipment, the city plans to support smart aquaculture technology development and regulatory improvements to expand output and attract related companies. It aims to broaden the smart aquaculture industry ecosystem by advancing and commercializing farming technology.
"This is the first of the country's six smart aquaculture clusters to result in actual production and shipment," said Sim Jae-min, head of the city's Maritime Capital Strategy Office. "We will provide support so that Busan-raised Atlantic salmon can be fully introduced to the market and so that we can lead the smart aquaculture industry."
About 100 people from organizations including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, GS E&C and Eco Aqua Farm are expected to attend the first-shipment event, which will feature a salmon filleting demonstration, a tasting and evaluation session, and tours of the farming facilities.
