Special Feature 1
The Nichimo Group is pursuing the continuous creation of value through its business operations in the fishing and marine products industries, and to passing down a better natural and marine environment to the next generation. To this end, the Group is engaging in R&D of environmentally friendly marine materials, including the development of items made with biomass materials that are biodegradable in the natural environment (“biomass and biodegradable materials”).
Drifting marine waste and a turtle
Issue 1Ever-Increasing marine plastic waste
The problem of marine waste originating from plastics is growing worse in oceans around the world. Among these, significant damage is caused by issues such as ghost fishing, which refers to marine creatures becoming entangled and killed by fishing nets and gear that have been illegally dumped or washed away in heavy weather. The abandoned nets and gear also obstruct vessel travel, causing economic loss by creating obstacles to ocean navigation and hindering vessel traffic.
Issue 2Reducing CO2 emissions to fight rising ocean temperatures and help realize a decarbonized society
Emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, are said to be a cause of global warming and rising ocean temperatures, and global-scale emissions reductions are needed. In addition, the Nichimo Group is working on various fronts to reduce CO2 emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
01 The Marine Plastic Pollution Issue
Initiatives of Nichimo Group 1Efforts to combat marine plastic waste
Marine materials made with biomass and biodegradable materials
To resolve marine plastic waste issues, the Group has been engaged in development and sales of marine materials (fishing nets, ropes, squid hooks, octopus pots, etc.) made with biomass and biodegradable materials.
Marine materials made with biomass and biodegradable materials
These materials have an extremely low decrease in performance in use (in the sea), and if they are damaged or washed into the ocean due to heavy weather, their specific gravity is more than 1, so after sinking to the bottom of the ocean, microbial degradation by bacteria will be promoted through the process of hydrolysis. It is estimated that materials in ocean water are hydrolyzed in 5 to 15 years in coastal areas and in 25 to 75 years in deep-sea areas.
This will also mitigate the microplastic problem that has become an issue in recent years, reducing the burden on the marine environment and minimizing the impact of ghost fishing on the ecosystem due to their biodegradability.
The octopus pots made of biomass and biodegradable materials, introduced last year, have also shown secondary effects, such as a higher fishing catch amount (about 1.75 times) compared to those made of traditional petroleum-based materials. Currently, we are working to expand sales, and have even received inquiries from overseas.
Biodegradable gillnet
Development of the world’s first biodegradable gillnet
In October 2023, we developed the world’s first biodegradable gillnet made of PBAT (polybutylene adipate terephthalate), a biodegradable resin, in collaboration with our group company, Hokkaido Nichimo Co.,Ltd. We performed an actual catch test in a pollock fishery and the results confirmed that the catch efficiency of the biodegradable gillnets was comparable to that of existing nylon gillnets made of petroleum-derived materials, and was even higher for herring species. This product also has the characteristic of facilitating the removal of the fish caught by the gillnet, which is expected to save manpower and labor. The Company is currently engaged in the development of biodegradable gillnets for catching other fish species and is working to commercialize these products. The majority of our gillnet sales are for export to overseas markets, and by promoting the overseas deployment of this product, we will also contribute to solving the marine debris problem, which has become an issue in other countries as well.
Fish aggregating devices (FADs)
Biodegradable materials are also used for fish aggregating devices (FADs)
We also provide a full range of other materials for fish aggregating devices (FADs) using biomass and biodegradable materials. FADs are used in fishing methods that take advantage of the propensity of migratory fish, such as tuna and bonito, to congregate on floating reefs.
Numerous unrecovered petroleum-based FADs are adrift, causing significant problems such as ghost fishing by entanglement of rare shark species and sea turtles. FADs made of biomass and biodegradable materials developed by the Nichimo Group not only decompose quickly when they wash ashore or sink, but also are designed to avoid potential entanglement and ghost fishing of marine life. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has accelerated the replacement of petroleum-based fishing gear materials for FADs in international fisheries, including the use of FADs made of biomass and biodegradable materials becoming fully mandatory in 2027. The Nichimo Group will continue to develop fishing gear materials using biomass and biodegradable materials in an effort to reduce environmental impact.
02 Creating Blue Carbon
Initiatives of Nichimo Group 2Demonstration testing initiated to create blue carbon
The reduction of CO2 emissions from social activities has become an urgent issue in order to realize a decarbonized society. In recent years, blue carbon, in which CO2 derived from the atmosphere is absorbed and stored into the ocean through the action of marine organisms, has received much attention as one such measure. Marine materials developed by the Group using biomass/biodegradable materials, such as biomass fishing nets and ropes, showed to be four to five times superior to regular petroleum-based nets in terms of initial growth of akamoku seaweed. Additionally, marine materials made using PLA can reduce the combined amount of CO2 emissions for manufacture and disposal (combustion) by 60% compared to conventional fishing nets and fishing gear made from petroleum-based material.
In Munakata City, we are contributing to the creation of blue carbon by providing nets made from biomass and biodegradable materials developed by the Nichimo Group in cooperation with the Munakata Fisheries Cooperative Association and Fukuoka Prefecture. Furthermore, we are contributing to the improvement of measures against rocky shore scorch caused by sea urchin feeding damage, which has been a factor in the loss of akamoku seaweed beds. In Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, we have also conducted aquaculture tests on mozuku, and have confirmed that when compared to petroleum-based nets, mozuku have better seeding and grow faster in the early stages of aquaculture. Thanks to this superiority, stable aquaculture can be expected even in heavy weather or in areas with strong currents.
The Group will continue to work on projects to create blue carbon and strive to achieve a decarbonized society.
Attaching akamoku seedlings
Comparison of mozuku growth after 1 month
Mozuku after 3 months