Kawasaki and Tokyo, Japan, Mar 24, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited and Umios Corporation today announced the successful completion of a joint pilot project for an electronic traceability system to trace and visualize seafood distribution information. This initiative, conducted on February 1, 2026, aims to support the countering of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which is increasingly important for securing sustainable marine resources. The experiment focused on bluefin tuna farmed by the Umios Group in Wakayama Prefecture, establishing a mechanism for consumers to check distribution information from the farm to retail stores via smartphone. The project successfully validated the system's effectiveness for wider implementation in society. Both companies aim to commence operation of this system by fiscal year 2027 for some fish species handled by the Umios Group.
In recent years, while demand for seafood has increased globally due to population growth and rising health consciousness, natural marine resources are declining, and securing sustainable marine resources has become an urgent issue. Countermeasures against IUU fishing are particularly critical, and countries worldwide are tightening marine resource management and fishing regulations. A common challenge for the fisheries industry is establishing mechanisms to clearly demonstrate and prove non-involvement with IUU fishing throughout the entire process, from procurement to distribution.
The Umios Group has positioned "Action for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem" as one of its material issues in the sustainability strategy of its medium-term management plan, "For the ocean, for life 2027," and is promoting the establishment of an electronic traceability system that can quickly and reliably prove that the seafood it handles is unrelated to IUU fishing.
Overview of the Pilot Project
- Date: February 1, 2026 (Saturday)
- Locations: Umios Marine Corporation Kushimoto Office (Wakayama Prefecture, aquaculture farm), Okuwa Co., Ltd. Izumi-Oda Store (Osaka Prefecture, retail store)
- Target Seafood: Bluefin tuna farmed at Umios Marine Corporation Kushimoto Office
- Details: A pilot project for an electronic traceability system enabling consumers who purchased the target bluefin tuna at Okuwa Co., Ltd. Izumi-Oda Store to check the production history (from farming and landing to processing and sales) using smartphones, along with a consumer awareness survey.
- System Used: A system developed as a prototype by Fujitsu, which records and visualizes the entire production history. It was designed utilizing a traceability solution from Fujitsu Sustainability Value Accelerator[1] offered through Fujitsu's business model Uvance, which addresses societal challenges.
- Results: The experiment demonstrated that the system can reliably record and visualize production history information for the target bluefin tuna. Furthermore, in the consumer awareness survey (35 valid responses), approximately 91% responded that they "would consider or refer to it when purchasing," approximately 77% said it "leads to a sense of security and trust," and approximately 77% also stated that they "would be willing to pay an additional price for products with traceability information." This indicates that electronic traceability can also function as added value for products.
Moving forward, both companies will leverage the insights gained from this pilot to expand the target fish species, enhance the system, and extend its application across the entire supply chain. This will accelerate the social implementation of transparency in seafood distribution and IUU fishing countermeasures.
Fujitsu will drive progress toward both enhancing corporate value based on trust and ensuring the sustainability of natural resources by realizing cross-company and cross-industry value chain traceability through Uvance.
(1) Fujitsu Sustainability Value Accelerator:
A suite of services from Fujitsu that collects verifiable traceability data across companies and industries, enhances value chain transparency, and supports overall optimization and the creation of new business models.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 113,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsu
About Umios Corporation
Umios Corporation is one of the largest fishing and food companies in the world, with a history dating back to its founding in Japan in 1880. Guided by its purpose "For the ocean, for life," Umios is committed to contributing to the happiness and well-being of all through authentic, safe, and healthy food. Find out more: https://www.umios.com/en/
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