Cheaper and More Sustainable Grilled Eel Dishes
The future of grilled eel dishes in Japan looks brighter than ever, thanks to a recent breakthrough in aquaculture techniques. The Fisheries Agency announced in July 2023 that they have made significant progress in hatching eel eggs, with the potential to produce 40,000 to 50,000 juvenile eels annually. This advancement could significantly reduce the cost and increase the availability of grilled eel, a popular delicacy in Japan.
Currently, Japan consumes around 100 million eels annually. Most of these eels are farm-raised, but the process relies on catching wild juvenile eels, called elvers. Hatching eels from eggs has been a significant technical challenge, but the Fisheries Agency has been working on this since the 1990s. In 2002, they achieved the world's first success in hatching and raising eels from eggs.
The recent breakthrough has significantly lowered the cost of producing juvenile eels. Hatching and raising a juvenile eel now costs around 1,800 yen ($11), a dramatic decrease from 40,000 yen in 2016. However, this is still three times the price of a wild-caught juvenile eel. The agency aims to further reduce costs to below 1,000 yen by introducing automation and other technologies.
This breakthrough is crucial because the number of wild juvenile eels caught in Japan has been declining. Over half of the supply now relies on imports, mainly from Hong Kong. By developing a reliable and cost-effective method for hatching and raising eels from eggs, Japan can reduce its dependence on wild populations and ensure a sustainable future for grilled eel dishes.
Despite their popularity, much remains unknown about the habits and biology of eels, especially during their early life stages. Eels consumed in Japan are thought to originate from eggs that hatch in the Mariana Trench, some 2,000 kilometers away. They then drift on the Kuroshio Current for roughly 170 days before reaching Japan and nearby waters, where they are captured for aquaculture.
This breakthrough in eel aquaculture is a significant step towards ensuring the future of grilled eel dishes in Japan. By reducing costs and increasing availability, this advancement could make this popular delicacy more accessible to everyone while also promoting sustainable practices.