[KAISO BANK] Results of Free Provision of Seaweed Cartridges Released

KAISO BANK has released the main recipients and growth status of seaweed cartridges, which are under development and have been provided free of charge to municipalities and fishermen engaged in seaweed bed conservation activities. Requests exceeding the number of available units were received, primarily from the western Japan region, and a total of 1,159 units were provided to 15 regions nationwide from each base. Moving forward, KAISO BANK will continue to expand the seaweed cartridges nationwide while collecting and analyzing technical feedback, aiming to build a stable seedling supply network for social implementation.

Market Research and Technical Verification Conducted Through Free Seaweed Cartridge Distribution Campaign

A free seaweed cartridge provision campaign was launched in December 2025 targeting municipalities, fishery cooperatives, etc., engaged in seaweed bed regeneration nationwide. This was not merely a promotion but was conducted with the objective of multifaceted verification from three perspectives: "verification of transportation quality," "collection of technical feedback," and "investigation of market demand."

Recipients of Seaweed Cartridges and Seaweed Species

A total of 1,159 units were provided to 15 regions nationwide from each base.

Wakinosawa Fishing Port, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture (Numata District)

Although some were lost due to waves, etc., many were confirmed to be growing well. Continuous observation will be conducted, and additional transplantation will be considered.

Upon recovery from the intermediate nursery facility

2 months after transplantation

Installation location: Breakwater and sandbreak at Wakinosawa Fishing Port (Numata District)

Supplier: Tadashiide Fishing Port

Seaweed species: Aramé, Makonbu

Quantity: 10 units each

Nanahama Funayado, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture

Growth differences were observed depending on water depth, and useful environmental data was obtained for future scaling up.

1 month after transplantation (top surface of cubic blocks)

2 months after transplantation (top surface of cubic blocks) grown to approximately 1m

Installation location: Inner wall of the breakwater, top surface of cubic blocks

Supplier: Kobatowari Fishing Port

Seaweed species: Wakame

Quantity: 60 units

Kaguraura District, Amakusa Town, Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Growth was confirmed to be proceeding smoothly after transplantation. The adaptability of Kirebamoku, a southern type of Sargassum, will be continuously observed.

At the time of transplantation

1 month after transplantation

Installation location: Attached to wooden reefs

Supplier: Toyo Fishing Port

Seaweed species: Kirebamoku

Quantity: 25 units

Requests exceeding the number of available units were received, primarily from the western Japan region, highlighting areas eager for seedlings. In particular, the western Japan region showed a high demand for southern type Sargassum with high-temperature tolerance, and regional demand trends were also identified.

KAISO BANK will continue to expand seaweed cartridges nationwide through careful consultation with recipients, and promote the construction of a stable seedling supply network by collecting and analyzing technical feedback. In addition, new business models for social implementation will be considered, promoting the creation of a sustainable seaweed bed regeneration mechanism centered on seaweed cartridges.

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[KAISO BANK] Initial Technical Development Goal (Establishment of Basic Technology) Achieved, Moving Towards Full-Scale Social Implementation

[KAISO BANK] Growth Status After Transplantation in Demonstration Fields Released - Attachment and Growth of Seaweed Confirmed -

About KAISO BANK

To promote blue carbon, KAISO BANK will construct a seaweed supply system (Seaweed Bank) that cultivates seaweed in large quantities and stably utilizing fishing ports, and efficiently transplants it to surrounding sea areas using seaweed transplantation cartridges and seaweed cultivation base blocks, thereby realizing the conservation and recovery of wide-ranging seaweed beds.

Utilizing a mutually complementary nationwide seedling supply network that flexibly adapts to risks such as climate change, we aim to develop, construct, and disseminate a one-stop service from seedling production to J-Blue Credit® application, promoting the realization of carbon neutrality and nature positivity.

KAISO BANK is implementing the "Blue Carbon Ecosystem Expansion Project Using Seaweed Banks Utilizing Fishing Ports for CO2 Reduction/Absorption Technology Development in Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries" as part of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)'s Green Innovation Fund project.

System Flow

Implementation Structure

Features

As the KAISO BANK Consortium can provide comprehensive support, we aim to develop, construct, and disseminate a one-stop service from seedling production to J-Blue Credit® application.

KAISO BANK

・Website: https://kaisobank.jp/

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