A DONEGAL shellfish farmer has clinched a major deal as Europe's first and only provider of oysters to the Japanese.Agreements signed during a trade mission to Tokyo this week headed by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan paved the way for Edward Gallagher to export millions of oysters to Japan.Less than 48 hours after the oysters are taken from his beds in Traigh Eanna Bay, Lettermacaward, they will be served up as quality delicacies in Japan's top restaurants.Through a strange quirk of breeding fate the fish-loving Japanese will be buying back their own -- at an amazing profit margin of around 1,290% for the Irishman.Gallagher's seed oysters, which take almost two and a half years to develop for consumption, are a mix of imports from England and France.The French seeds are known as Japanese oysters because they have their roots in a strain imported 40 years ago from Japan. So, in effect, Gallagher is selling Japanese oysters to the Japanese.He buys the seeds at $22.50 for 1,000 -- of which about half survive. He is selling the oysters to a wholesale partner in Japan for $7.50 a dozen, hence the huge profit margin.Gallagher's Irish Premium Oysters, which employs four full-time and three part-time staff, was started less than 20 years ago by his father Jimmy. They sold their product to France and, through Northern Ireland outlets, to Tescos and Sainsburys in Britain.In recent years they concentrated on marketing their own brand direct to the consumer. They built a market in Hong Kong which prompted the state-backed Bord Iascaigh Mhara, which promotes the shellfish industry, to help them set up the Japanese trade to which they will initially supply 10,000 oysters a week.Gallagher, who took over Irish Premium Oysters from his father some years ago, flew out to Japan with the trade mission on Tuesday.He said, "The Japanese deal is a major boost. It gives us options instead of relying solely on the Hong Kong business in the Far East."He reckoned that within the next five years there will be many more Irish firms selling live shellfish to Japan.