Starfish from the Okhotsk Sea Protect "Air Safety." Realizing Commercialization with Japanese Repellent Technology to Prevent Bird Strikes at Airports, Wind Power Plants, etc.!!
Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. has developed a unique bird repellent technology using "Marine Saponin," a component extracted from starfish. This natural, odorless repellent targets birds' visual perception of UV light, creating an unnatural glare that deters them without harm. The company is now commercializing high-function repellents for airports and wind power plants to prevent bird strikes, aiming to expand this Hokkaido-developed bio-technology globally.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 10:15
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 00:15 (374h 0m after Collected)
Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. (Location: Chuo-ku, Sapporo) supports April Dream, which aims to be a day to communicate dreams on April 1st. This press release is the dream of "Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector."
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■ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. (Sapporo, Chuo-ku, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Koji Mikuni) has been developing its own bird repellent technology since 2002. We are now entering full-scale product development of a high-performance repellent agent specifically for preventing bird strikes at airports and wind power plants.
Purpose and Background of the Repellent Agent
■ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd., in its long-standing fishery waste treatment business, focused on the unknown potential of "starfish," which had been considered a nuisance. Through extensive research, we discovered that a specific component extracted from starfish, "Marine Saponin," possesses a powerful repellent effect on birds (such as crows). This discovery became the starting point for developing products that would fundamentally change existing bird damage countermeasures.
Large quantities of starfish are processed and decomposed using our proprietary bio-technology (two scenes below)
Landing of large quantities of starfish that prey on scallops
Starfish decomposition processed rapidly through bio-fermentation
■ The characteristic of the starfish extract "Marine Saponin" is that it is a "natural component itself," using no chemical additives. The extract (virtually odorless), extracted through our unique bio-technology, utilizes a mechanism that crows instinctively avoid: the recognition of ultraviolet light emission. Instead of the conventional approach of "eliminating with poison," it creates an environment that "keeps them away" by appealing to the birds' physiological functions.
Starfish extract (Marine Saponin) trademark registered
■ Common issues with bird control products marketed to date.
Deterrence by Sound: After a certain period, birds learn that the sound causes no harm, and the repellent effect significantly decreases.
Light Reflection: Products using mirrors or CDs cause birds to lower their guard the moment they recognize it as merely a physical "reflection of light," leading to their return and settlement.
★Check Marine Saponin Luminescence in Video★
In the "ultraviolet wavelength band" that birds can perceive, our unique formulation technology causes them to recognize a strong "luminescence" through a specific mechanism. This realizes the effect of "keeping them away" through signals that instinctively evoke "fear" or "discomfort" in birds.
As can be confirmed from the table below, we were able to obtain fluorescence spectra with maximum fluorescence wavelengths of 450nm, 470nm, and 505nm at excitation wavelengths of 350nm, 380nm, and 400nm, respectively.
Fluorescence spectrum of Marine Saponin (table above)
Confirmation of luminescence upon UV irradiation of Marine Saponin
No change upon UV irradiation of tap water
★According to the latest survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Preliminary Report for Fiscal Year 2024), overall damage from birds and animals has increased by 2.4 billion yen to 18.8 billion yen compared to the previous year. Crows, in particular, continue to cause serious damage to fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, in urban areas, cleaning costs and maintaining aesthetic appeal are major challenges for local governments, and countermeasures using 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 enables short-time processing.
Details of Retroreflective Sheet (Colorless)
We present two features of the "retroreflective sheet" (colorless), which is being considered for adoption as a repellent sheet for bird strike countermeasures.
①Intense Visual Intervention in All Directions: It sharply reflects incident light back towards the light source (sun or lighting) or at calculated angles. To birds' eyes, it appears as an "unnatural glare" that does not exist in nature, causing intense discomfort and wariness.
②Dynamic Irregular Reflection Effect: When applied to wind turbine blades, the reflection angle constantly changes with rotational movement. This creates "unpredictable flashes of light" that birds cannot get used to, thereby preventing collisions (bird strikes).
* The irregular reflection of light emitted by the sheet enhances its appeal to the eyesight of birds (like crows). We expect a repellent effect proportional to this.
Retroreflective sheet
■ Conventional Repellent Products
① Yellow Card: Attachable to small items or carried around, hung up to prevent mischief and attacks.
● Weight: 52g
● Size: Height 9.3cm × Width 6.2cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube ② Yellow Tape for Municipal Garbage Stations and Home Gardens: Simply hang it around the area to send repellent signals over a wide range and prevent garbage from being ransacked. ③ Stickers / Tape for Restaurant/Store Garbage Areas ● Weight: 995g
● Size: Diameter 13cm × Height 10cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube (Sapporo Clock Tower) By applying it to walls, it directly appeals to crows' sight, exerting a strong deterrent effect. ● Size: Width 11cm, Height 7cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Types: Pack of 3, Pack of 5, Pack of 10
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube ③ "Bird Corranger" Paint for Apartment Rooftops and Large Facilities: Apply directly to areas where birds fly and land. The luminescent components that crows dislike protect buildings from droppings. ● Capacity: 100cc, 500cc, 1000cc
● Effective Period: Approx. 1 year (varies depending on environmental conditions)
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube (Demonstration Test Media Coverage Program Featured on TV Broadcast - Overseas - Future Development ~ Protecting Global Air Safety with Hokkaido-Origin Bio-Technology ~ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. will accelerate the dissemination of bird damage countermeasures products utilizing its unique marine-derived component "Marine Saponin," evolving into a "Global Solution Company" that contributes to the safety of social infrastructure and environmental protection. 1. Challenge in Bird Strike Countermeasures: Airports, Wind Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, etc.
In addition to conventional repellents, we will focus on developing solutions for large-scale facilities requiring advanced expertise.
Visual Intervention with "Retroreflective Sheet": We will introduce "retroreflective technology," which strongly bounces light at specific angles, and the repellent paint "Bird Corranger" to buildings inside and outside airport premises and wind turbine blades. We will deploy a "visual barrier" that gives birds' vision an "instinctive warning" to prevent bird strikes. 2. Overseas Expansion: Bio-Repellent Technology from Hokkaido to the World
Global Partnerships: We are beginning to develop overseas distributors who are familiar with local needs.
Utilization of Cross-border E-commerce: We will establish a system that allows users worldwide to purchase directly, elevating our bio-technology, honed in Hokkaido's harsh natural environment, into global "Bird Control Solutions." ★Aiming to Countermeasures for White-tailed Eagles Colliding with Wind Turbine Blades★ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. / Representative Director Koji Mikuni
In response to the worsening crow damage, we propose symbiotic countermeasures that do not burden the environment, using our unique bio-technology that exploits the visual characteristics of crows. We aim to deliver a new standard in bird damage control from Hokkaido to the nation and then to the world.
Location: Minami 1-jo Nishi 19-chome 291-50, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
Year Established: July 2002
Business Activities: Repellents for birds, insects, and beasts; solid & liquid soaps.
Homepage:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram: "April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies share their long-cherished dreams on April 1st.
We are seriously aiming to make this dream a reality.
● Size: Height 9.3cm × Width 6.2cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube ② Yellow Tape for Municipal Garbage Stations and Home Gardens: Simply hang it around the area to send repellent signals over a wide range and prevent garbage from being ransacked. ③ Stickers / Tape for Restaurant/Store Garbage Areas ● Weight: 995g
● Size: Diameter 13cm × Height 10cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube (Sapporo Clock Tower) By applying it to walls, it directly appeals to crows' sight, exerting a strong deterrent effect. ● Size: Width 11cm, Height 7cm
● Effective Period: Repellent effect decreases as it changes from yellow to white.
● Types: Pack of 3, Pack of 5, Pack of 10
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube ③ "Bird Corranger" Paint for Apartment Rooftops and Large Facilities: Apply directly to areas where birds fly and land. The luminescent components that crows dislike protect buildings from droppings. ● Capacity: 100cc, 500cc, 1000cc
● Effective Period: Approx. 1 year (varies depending on environmental conditions)
● Made in Japan
● Check on YouTube (Demonstration Test Media Coverage Program Featured on TV Broadcast - Overseas - Future Development ~ Protecting Global Air Safety with Hokkaido-Origin Bio-Technology ~ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. will accelerate the dissemination of bird damage countermeasures products utilizing its unique marine-derived component "Marine Saponin," evolving into a "Global Solution Company" that contributes to the safety of social infrastructure and environmental protection. 1. Challenge in Bird Strike Countermeasures: Airports, Wind Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, etc.
In addition to conventional repellents, we will focus on developing solutions for large-scale facilities requiring advanced expertise.
Visual Intervention with "Retroreflective Sheet": We will introduce "retroreflective technology," which strongly bounces light at specific angles, and the repellent paint "Bird Corranger" to buildings inside and outside airport premises and wind turbine blades. We will deploy a "visual barrier" that gives birds' vision an "instinctive warning" to prevent bird strikes. 2. Overseas Expansion: Bio-Repellent Technology from Hokkaido to the World
Global Partnerships: We are beginning to develop overseas distributors who are familiar with local needs.
Utilization of Cross-border E-commerce: We will establish a system that allows users worldwide to purchase directly, elevating our bio-technology, honed in Hokkaido's harsh natural environment, into global "Bird Control Solutions." ★Aiming to Countermeasures for White-tailed Eagles Colliding with Wind Turbine Blades★ Hokkaido Environmental Bio Sector Co., Ltd. / Representative Director Koji Mikuni
In response to the worsening crow damage, we propose symbiotic countermeasures that do not burden the environment, using our unique bio-technology that exploits the visual characteristics of crows. We aim to deliver a new standard in bird damage control from Hokkaido to the nation and then to the world.
Location: Minami 1-jo Nishi 19-chome 291-50, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
Year Established: July 2002
Business Activities: Repellents for birds, insects, and beasts; solid & liquid soaps.
Homepage:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram: "April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies share their long-cherished dreams on April 1st.
We are seriously aiming to make this dream a reality.