Current Status and Future Prospects for Harvesting and Resource Management of the Agarophyte in Japan

Abstract

Agar-agar manufacturing was Japan’s monopoly for about 300 yr from 1644 until about 1920, when its production was initiated in the USA by introducing techniques from Japan, and then was begun in South Korea, Indonesia, and many other countries. Today the average annual output of agar-agar of over 20 countries amounts to 6000 tons, half of which is produced in Japan.Agarophytes are harvested in many countries and traded among them. In Japan, nearly 14,000 tons are consumed in a year, two thirds of which are imported from about 20 countries.Under these circumstances, there is a worldwide demand for appropriate measures for resource conservation, effective harvesting, and utilization of agarophytes.This paper presents the results of basic and applied investigations on the agarophytes and the existing state of harvesting and resource-conservation management in Japan.