"Busan Salmon" Makes Its Debut... First Shipment of Imported Atlantic Salmon Cultivated at Smart Fish Farm

First Atlantic Salmon Produced at Gijang Smart Aquaculture Farm


A First Among Six Smart Aquaculture Clusters Nationwide


Recirculating Aquaculture Facility Built with 40 Billion Won Investment

For the first time, Atlantic salmon—which has thus far relied on imports—has been cultivated and shipped directly from Busan. Out of the six smart aquaculture clusters nationwide, Busan is the first to successfully complete the full cycle from aquaculture production to product shipment.

The city of Busan will host a tasting event at 2 p.m. on September 30 at a smart fish farm in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, to celebrate the first shipment of Atlantic salmon.

The event will be hosted by the aquaculture company EcoAquaFarm. Officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Busan Metropolitan Government, Busan Metropolitan Council, and related smart aquaculture stakeholders will attend to share updates on the project’s progress and showcase Atlantic salmon produced in Busan. The program will include welcome speeches, a progress report on the project, congratulatory remarks, a live salmon filleting show, tastings, and a tour of the fish farm.

Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster.

The Atlantic salmon being shipped this time was produced at the testbed of the Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster. This cluster was established inside the National Institute of Fisheries Science at Pukyong National University in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, with an investment of a total of 40 billion won from national funds, municipal funds, and private capital. After the facility’s completion in 2024, advanced smart aquaculture technologies such as a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) were applied.

The Atlantic salmon being shipped now were introduced as fertilized eggs and cultivated at the facility from the second half of 2024. This marks the first actual case of production and shipment among the six smart aquaculture clusters under development nationwide.

The Busan Smart Aquaculture Cluster is a facility that applies information and communication technology, as well as automation and intelligent systems, to the aquaculture industry. It is noteworthy that a project integrating national and municipal funds with private capital has led to tangible results in aquaculture production and distribution.

Capitalizing on this shipment, the city of Busan plans to accelerate the industrialization of smart aquaculture technology, support improvements in regulations and the development of new technologies, and move forward with the full-scale launch of Busan-produced Atlantic salmon in the market.

Given the high reliance on imports for Atlantic salmon consumption in Korea, expanding domestic production capacity is expected to reduce dependence on imports and help diversify the seafood supply chain. Land-based smart aquaculture enables systematic management of the rearing environment, making it advantageous for stable production and quality control.

Shim Jaemin, Director of the Busan Ocean Capital Strategy Office, stated, “This is a meaningful achievement as it is the first nationwide to result in actual production and shipment. We will make every effort to introduce Busan-produced Atlantic salmon to the market in earnest and to lead the smart aquaculture technology and industry as a pioneering city.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.