The planned RAS facility will produce 310 tonnes of trout for harvest and 260 tonnes of intermediate-sized coho for transfer to marine pens.

Illustration: NTT Green&Food; AquaBioTech Group

Japanese telecoms giant gives RAS expert a call to build trout and coho farm

Editorial team Editorial team

Published November 21, 2025 - 7:02 a.m.

NTT Green & Food (NTT G&F) – a seafood and algae producing subsidiary of Japanese telecoms business NTT Group (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) - today announced plans for a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility for coho salmon and trout in the Koizumi district of Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Construction is scheduled to begin early next year.

The company said the project will introduce state-of-the-art RAS technology in collaboration with Malta-headquartered AquaBioTech Group (ABTG).

Sustainable communities

The new facility is part of NTT G&F’s initiatives to realise “sustainable local communities”, aiming to revitalise regional industries, create employment, and address local challenges through the use of digital technologies, with land-based aquaculture as a core pillar. Kesennuma City is a port city in the northeast of Japan’s main island, Honshu, and is a seven-hour drive from Tokyo. Its economy relies on tourism and a declining commercial fishing industry, and its population has decreased.

Upon completion of the RAS facility in the 2026 financial year, it is expected to produce approximately 310 tonnes of market-size trout annually, as well as about 260 tonnes of intermediate-size coho salmon for offshore aquaculture within the prefecture.

“It is an honour to have been selected to work on this exciting project that is significant not just for AquaBioTech Group, but also for the future of modern, intensive and sustainable aquaculture in Japan,” said ABTG chief executive Shane Hunter.

Regional revitalisation

NTT Green & Food president and chied executive Yoshikazu Kusumi said: “Focusing on seafood production through land-based aquaculture, we aim to contribute to regional revitalisation by creating jobs and stimulating local industries.

“To realise a better future, NTT Green & Food will further strengthen collaboration with AquaBioTech Group and other partners.”

NTT Green & Food produces and sells environmentally friendly seafood and algae used as feed, with land-based aquaculture as its core business.

Leveraging the NTT Group’s expertise in algae production technology that absorbs higher levels of CO₂ for use as seafood feed, along with optimal aquaculture management, it says it aims to harness nature’s bounty through innovation and realise a circular society.