NIFS announced its plan to establish 'East Sea salmon aquaculture center' - a research facility specialized in fostering salmon aquaculture industry - in Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do by 2026. 

As a specialized R&D facility in research on salmon feed, breeding conditions, etc. for the sustainable industrialization of domestic salmon farming, the center will be comprised of: a three-story main building for experiment and analysis; organisms breeding building for breeding experiment; and subsidiary facilities for breeding management. 

The key technology developed at the center will be transferred to the private sector in the form of partnership with related projects in the sector of food processing, equipment and materials, data, etc., after undergoing verifying study at the test bed for smart-aquaculture cluster. 

Speaking of salmon, it is very popular seafood with its global consumption increasing about 3% a year on average, buying its popularity with its much potential for commercialization and a wide range of consumer groups. In Korea, the domestic consumption for salmon has steadily increased in response to the need for changes in dietary culture and food trends. 

Up to the present time, following changing seafood preference of the people, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) has been pushing ahead with various research on salmon - such as utilizing salmon by-products and developing breeding technology - by creating the salmon smart-aquaculture cluster with Gangwon-do. NIFS also has been conducting the precautionary research for salmon farming since 2023 to promote the stable settlement of salmon aquaculture industry. 

*Precautionary research for salmon farming: pursuing health management, clarification of breeding conditions, and development of formulated feeds for securing the stable farming productivity of salmon (2023-2029, total budget 24.9 billion won (KRW) 

The newly establishing center has been forging a closer partnership with the salmon smart-aquaculture cluster in Gangwon-do aiming at Korea's first success in large-scale salmon aquaculture.