Technological development for sustainable aquaculture in Japan has been developing new technologies for marine aquaculture to solve the problems mentioned above, taking a leading part in new offshore culture projects. Atomization and mechanization in aquaculture operation is most important to solve labour shortage problem. Also, creation of calm water area by installing wave-damping dikes and development of offshore aquaculture is most important way to expand aquaculture grounds in Japanese coastal waters.

Some example of aquaculture ground development cover 480 m of gravitational and floating wave-damping, constructed to develop 39.7 ha. of calm water area.

Yellow tail aquaculture production increased to 1,584 tons in 1991, 5 times of pre-construction as the result of new aquaculture ground creation.

Japan has developed experimental high seas structure of sufficient strength and stability for net cages with flexible rubber frame. Pilot farm stations for offshore culture are set up off Hokkaido (northern Japan type) by jack-up method, as well as Kumamoto (southern Japan type). Another pilot farm station in Ehime set by tension method had reared yellow tail and finished the experimental stage. The facility was re-utilized as artificial fish reef. The station can afford to hold 20 fish cages maximum and each cage has 20 m by 20 m area, 15 m depth, 6,000 cubic meter. Each cage can rear about 12,000 adult yellow tail fish in shipping size (fish weight 5 kg each and 8 kg fish in one cubic meter water maximum). Station cost is about 3 hundred million yen (2.7 million US$) including developing cost.

Due to the huge amount of initial cost, joint operation by fishermen cooperative members is the best solution to start this aquaculture system and the government is able also to support part of the cost by subsidies as public facilities.

Pilot farm stations were equipped with remote controlled automatic feeding machine using extruded dry pellets are installed in offshore area for rearing fish in extensive, clean sea water and preventing sea pollution by sufficient strong current. These stations hold also silo on the platform of 25 tons, EP feed for 5 days (5 tons/day). The feed from silo is adjusted by screw feeder to fit necessary volume for rearing fish.

EP Feed is sent forth by air. Distance between station and net cage is about 100 m. The shape of the ejector is suitable for spreading food in a wide area. The stations are also equipped with a wide range of instruments recording water temperature, tidal current, dissolved oxygen, salinity, wind velocity and direction, wave condition, and air temperature, as well as TV monitoring system for inside and outside cage net. These equipments are entirely controlled and monitored remotely at the onshore station through optical fibre cables or from the boat by wireless.