#Japan #Tokyo #Blue Carbon #Fish Pass #Nippon Coke

New Collaboration for Blue Carbon Assessment

In a groundbreaking initiative, Fish Pass Co., Ltd., headquartered in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, and Nippon Coke Co., Ltd., based in Koto City, Tokyo, have announced their collaboration aimed at developing a novel approach for assessing blue carbon by leveraging environmental DNA analysis.

Background and Challenges

Traditionally, assessments of blue carbon have relied heavily on labor-intensive methods such as dive surveys and visual observations. These approaches often yield qualitative results, resulting in challenges in cost efficiency, reproducibility, and comparability of data. Consequently, outcomes from such assessments do not adequately support business decisions or regulatory frameworks, making it difficult for promising projects to secure ongoing investments.

To address these issues, the partnership seeks to establish a new evaluation method that integrates environmental DNA analysis into blue carbon assessments. The goal is to enable the collection and analysis of biological information from organisms such as seaweed as environmental DNA, complementing existing survey methods. This integrated approach aims to create an assessment model characterized by quantitativeness, reproducibility, and labor efficiency.

Collaboration Overview

The collaboration's primary focus is to simplify the evaluation process while enhancing objective comparisons across multiple locations and years. By improving the transparency and applicability of the assessment results, the partnership aims to facilitate communication and collaboration with external stakeholders. This will lead to a more robust foundation for evaluating and demonstrating the effects of blue carbon initiatives.

Progress and Future Outlook

Currently, the two companies have commenced trial analyses and are actively addressing technical constraints while outlining potential avenues for collaboration. The results from these preliminary analyses will inform a detailed action plan moving forward, paving the way for a proof of concept (PoC) phase.

Ultimately, the objective is to develop a universally applicable evaluation method, allowing for standardized comparisons and explanations of effects across different projects, regions, and service providers. This innovative model is envisioned to serve as a pioneering example of blue carbon creation implementation, with aspirations for wider dissemination across various localities in the nation.

About Nippon Coke Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1889, Nippon Coke is a leading company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime market. The company's core business revolves around the manufacturing and sales of coke, a vital material for iron and steel production and metal refining. In addition to coke, Nippon Coke engages in import and sales of overseas coal and petroleum coke, resource recycling, and development of equipment for generating fine powders. The company's Kitakyushu facility actively pursues research and development of various carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies, furthering its commitment to a carbon-neutral society. This partnership will leverage Nippon Coke's expertise by providing blue carbon target areas for assessment purposes. Learn More

About Fish Pass Co., Ltd.

Fish Pass is a startup that collaborates with river fishing cooperatives nationwide, promoting the digitization of fishing licenses at over 400 locations across Japan. In the field of environmental DNA analysis, the company possesses a diverse portfolio of projects, including assessments of aquatic species, countermeasures against wildlife damage such as bears and wild boars, environmental assessments, and biodiversity evaluations through seagrass restoration. Fish Pass will contribute its expertise in environmental DNA analysis and the design and implementation of evaluation methods in this collaboration. Explore More

Contact Information

For inquiries related to this announcement, please contact:
Fish Pass Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department
Phone: 0776-67-7335
Email: [email protected]