Okhotsk Starfish Protects "Air Safety." Realizing Product Commercialization with Japanese Bird Repellent Technology to Prevent Bird Strikes at Airports and Wind Power Plants!!
Hokkaido Environmental Biosector will commercialize a high-performance bird repellent using starfish extract (Marine Saponin) and a retroreflective sheet to prevent bird strikes at airports and wind farms.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
Hokkaido Environmental Biosector Co., Ltd. (Location: Chuo-ku, Sapporo) supports April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day to announce dreams. This press release is a dream of "Hokkaido Environmental Biosector."
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■Hokkaido Environmental Biosector Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Koji Mikuni) has been developing its unique bird repellent technology since 2002. This time, we will fully launch the product development of a high-performance repellent specifically designed to prevent bird strikes at airports and wind power plants.
## Purpose and Background of the Repellent
■Hokkaido Environmental Biosector Co., Ltd. has focused on the unknown potential of "starfish," which has long been considered a nuisance in its long-standing marine waste treatment business. As a result of extensive research, we discovered that a specific component extracted from starfish, "Marine Saponin," has a powerful repellent effect on birds (such as crows). This discovery became the origin of product development that fundamentally changes conventional bird damage countermeasures.
Processing a large amount of starfish with our unique biotechnology (two scenes below)
- Landing of a large number of starfish that prey on scallops
- Rapid decomposition of starfish by bio-fermentation
■A feature of starfish extract "Marine Saponin" is that it is "natural ingredient itself" with no chemical components used. The extract, produced by our unique biotechnology (almost odorless), utilizes a mechanism that crows instinctively avoid (recognition of ultraviolet light emission). Instead of the conventional idea of "eliminating with poison," it creates an environment that "keeps birds away" by appealing to their physiological functions.
Starfish extract (Marine Saponin) registered trademark
■Common issues with commercially available bird control products so far.
- **Intimidation by sound:** After a certain period, birds learn that the sound causes "no actual harm," and the repellent effect significantly decreases.
- **Light reflection:** Products using mirrors or CDs cause birds to recognize them as mere physical "light reflections," and they lose their wariness, returning to fly and perch again.
★Check Marine Saponin luminescence in video★
By applying unique blending technology, we make birds recognize intense "light emission" through a specific mechanism in the "ultraviolet wavelength band" that birds can perceive. This achieves "keeping birds away" by signals that birds instinctively feel "fear" and "discomfort."
What can be confirmed from the table below. We were able to obtain fluorescence spectra with maximum fluorescence wavelengths at 450nm, 470nm, and 505nm for excitation wavelengths of 350nm, 380nm, and 400nm, respectively.
Fluorescence spectrum of Marine Saponin (table above)
- Luminescence confirmed by UV irradiation on Marine Saponin
- No change observed with UV irradiation on tap water
★According to the latest survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (preliminary report for FY2024),
total damage from wildlife increased by 2.4 billion yen from the previous year to 18.8 billion yen. Among them, crows continue to cause serious damage to fruit trees and vegetables.
Furthermore, in urban areas, cleaning costs and maintaining aesthetic appeal are major challenges for local governments, and measures based on a "biological approach" rather than conventional methods are said to be urgently needed.
★Furthermore, processing highly perishable starfish requires freshness management and advanced processing technology. Our bio-fermentation technology has made rapid processing possible.
## Details of Retroreflective Sheet (Colorless)
Here are two features of the "retroreflective sheet" (colorless) being considered for adoption as a bird repellent sheet for bird strike countermeasures.
- ①**Intense visual intervention in all directions:** Incident light is sharply reflected back towards the light source (sun or lighting) or at a calculated angle. To birds' eyes, it appears as an "unnatural glare" that does not exist in nature, causing intense discomfort and caution.
- ②**Dynamic diffuse reflection effect:** When applied to wind turbine blades, the reflection angle constantly changes with the rotation. This creates "unpredictable flickering light" that birds cannot get used to, preventing collisions (bird strikes) before they occur.
*The diffuse reflection of light emitted by the sheet increases its appeal to birds' (crows, etc.) vision. We anticipate a proportional repellent effect.*
Retroreflective sheet
## ■Conventional Repellent Products
- ①**"Yellow Card" for carrying around or attaching to small items to prevent mischief and attacks**
- Weight: 52g
- Size: 9.3cm (vertical) x 6.2cm (horizontal)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video
- ②**Yellow tape for municipal garbage stations and home gardens**
- Simply hanging it around sends a wide-ranging repellent signal, preventing garbage tampering.
- ③**Stickers / tapes for restaurant and store garbage areas**
- Weight: 995g
- Size: 13cm (diameter) x 10cm (height)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video (Sapporo Clock Tower)
- By affixing it to walls, it directly appeals to crows' vision, exerting a strong deterrent effect.
- "SARABA Kurasu-kun" Sticker
- Size: 11cm (width) x 7cm (height)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Types: 3 pieces, 5 pieces, 10 pieces
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video
- ③**Mansion rooftop / large facility paint "Bird Ranger"**
- Directly applied to flying/landing points. Protects buildings from droppings pollution with light-emitting components that crows dislike.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
■Hokkaido Environmental Biosector Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Koji Mikuni) has been developing its unique bird repellent technology since 2002. This time, we will fully launch the product development of a high-performance repellent specifically designed to prevent bird strikes at airports and wind power plants.
## Purpose and Background of the Repellent
■Hokkaido Environmental Biosector Co., Ltd. has focused on the unknown potential of "starfish," which has long been considered a nuisance in its long-standing marine waste treatment business. As a result of extensive research, we discovered that a specific component extracted from starfish, "Marine Saponin," has a powerful repellent effect on birds (such as crows). This discovery became the origin of product development that fundamentally changes conventional bird damage countermeasures.
Processing a large amount of starfish with our unique biotechnology (two scenes below)
- Landing of a large number of starfish that prey on scallops
- Rapid decomposition of starfish by bio-fermentation
■A feature of starfish extract "Marine Saponin" is that it is "natural ingredient itself" with no chemical components used. The extract, produced by our unique biotechnology (almost odorless), utilizes a mechanism that crows instinctively avoid (recognition of ultraviolet light emission). Instead of the conventional idea of "eliminating with poison," it creates an environment that "keeps birds away" by appealing to their physiological functions.
Starfish extract (Marine Saponin) registered trademark
■Common issues with commercially available bird control products so far.
- **Intimidation by sound:** After a certain period, birds learn that the sound causes "no actual harm," and the repellent effect significantly decreases.
- **Light reflection:** Products using mirrors or CDs cause birds to recognize them as mere physical "light reflections," and they lose their wariness, returning to fly and perch again.
★Check Marine Saponin luminescence in video★
By applying unique blending technology, we make birds recognize intense "light emission" through a specific mechanism in the "ultraviolet wavelength band" that birds can perceive. This achieves "keeping birds away" by signals that birds instinctively feel "fear" and "discomfort."
What can be confirmed from the table below. We were able to obtain fluorescence spectra with maximum fluorescence wavelengths at 450nm, 470nm, and 505nm for excitation wavelengths of 350nm, 380nm, and 400nm, respectively.
Fluorescence spectrum of Marine Saponin (table above)
- Luminescence confirmed by UV irradiation on Marine Saponin
- No change observed with UV irradiation on tap water
★According to the latest survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (preliminary report for FY2024),
total damage from wildlife increased by 2.4 billion yen from the previous year to 18.8 billion yen. Among them, crows continue to cause serious damage to fruit trees and vegetables.
Furthermore, in urban areas, cleaning costs and maintaining aesthetic appeal are major challenges for local governments, and measures based on a "biological approach" rather than conventional methods are said to be urgently needed.
★Furthermore, processing highly perishable starfish requires freshness management and advanced processing technology. Our bio-fermentation technology has made rapid processing possible.
## Details of Retroreflective Sheet (Colorless)
Here are two features of the "retroreflective sheet" (colorless) being considered for adoption as a bird repellent sheet for bird strike countermeasures.
- ①**Intense visual intervention in all directions:** Incident light is sharply reflected back towards the light source (sun or lighting) or at a calculated angle. To birds' eyes, it appears as an "unnatural glare" that does not exist in nature, causing intense discomfort and caution.
- ②**Dynamic diffuse reflection effect:** When applied to wind turbine blades, the reflection angle constantly changes with the rotation. This creates "unpredictable flickering light" that birds cannot get used to, preventing collisions (bird strikes) before they occur.
*The diffuse reflection of light emitted by the sheet increases its appeal to birds' (crows, etc.) vision. We anticipate a proportional repellent effect.*
Retroreflective sheet
## ■Conventional Repellent Products
- ①**"Yellow Card" for carrying around or attaching to small items to prevent mischief and attacks**
- Weight: 52g
- Size: 9.3cm (vertical) x 6.2cm (horizontal)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video
- ②**Yellow tape for municipal garbage stations and home gardens**
- Simply hanging it around sends a wide-ranging repellent signal, preventing garbage tampering.
- ③**Stickers / tapes for restaurant and store garbage areas**
- Weight: 995g
- Size: 13cm (diameter) x 10cm (height)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video (Sapporo Clock Tower)
- By affixing it to walls, it directly appeals to crows' vision, exerting a strong deterrent effect.
- "SARABA Kurasu-kun" Sticker
- Size: 11cm (width) x 7cm (height)
- Validity period: Repellent effect decreases as color changes from yellow to white
- Types: 3 pieces, 5 pieces, 10 pieces
- Made in Japan
- Check with YouTube video
- ③**Mansion rooftop / large facility paint "Bird Ranger"**
- Directly applied to flying/landing points. Protects buildings from droppings pollution with light-emitting components that crows dislike.
FAQ
What is Marine Saponin?
It is a natural ingredient extracted from starfish in the Okhotsk Sea, which has a repellent effect by utilizing ultraviolet light emission recognition that birds (like crows) instinctively avoid.
What kind of facilities are expected to use this product?
It is primarily expected for bird strike countermeasures at airports and wind power plants, as well as bird damage countermeasures at municipal garbage stations, home gardens, restaurants, and apartment rooftops.
How does it differ from existing bird damage countermeasures?
Unlike conventional methods where birds get used to sounds and light reflections, it acts on birds' physiological functions using natural Marine Saponin and special reflective sheets to prevent habituation.