May 15, 2024 — Food is a powerful means of sharing culture, and the United States and Japan share a love of delicious and sustainable farmed seafood. Since 1971, NOAA Fisheries and the Japanese Fisheries Research and Education Agency have collaborated through the U.S.-Japan Natural Resources Aquaculture Panel.
The panel’s principal aims are to cooperatively:
- Develop and conserve natural resources
- Share information and results of research activities
- Provide a continuing forum for applied science and technology cooperation
“The two countries, Japan and the United States, have very different cultural backgrounds and for this very reason we can work together to solve problems from different perspectives, producing results that cannot be achieved in one country,” said Dr. Hideaki Aono, former Japan Panel Chair (2019–2024). “Since there has been more than 50 years of research exchange between two countries, the strong sense of trust facilitates sharing knowledge and technology.”
Science and Technology Exchange
The panel has evolved to adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities. NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture sponsors this bilateral in collaboration with aquaculture scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and national Sea Grant programs. The panel holds annual meetings where scientists share research results, new technology, and approaches for sustainable aquaculture.
Over the years, American and Japanese aquaculture experts have collaborated on:
- Laboratory and field research
- Exchanges of samples for research
- Synthesizing hard-to-get data in the archives of each nation
- Gathering statistics to chart the growth of the aquaculture industries in both the United States and Japan