In a historic milestone for Japanese aquaculture, Proximar Seafood has successfully completed its first commercial harvest of Atlantic salmon from its facility at the foot of Mount Fuji.
After two years of preparation, the trial harvest yielded approximately 1.2 tonnes of salmon, averaging around 4 kg HOG.
“Proximar is the only supplier of domestically produced Atlantic salmon in Japan, years ahead of competition,” said Joachim Nielsen, chief executive of Proximar Seafood.
“We have since October 2022 proven great production capabilities and fish growth, and I am now immensely proud to see all the hard work from our excellent team being commercially validated through the first harvest.”
The harvested salmon will be distributed to customers in the Greater Tokyo region, with Proximar expecting to achieve premium prices compared to imported Norwegian Atlantic salmon. The company plans to begin daily harvesting by late October.
The salmon will be sold under the new Fuji Atlantic Salmon brand. “Mount Fuji is an iconic landmark in Japan, and the area is known for high quality water resources,” explained Neilsen.
“The location of Proximar at the foot of Mount Fuji is believed to have a positive value in terms of marketing and branding, not only in Japan but also in the entire Asian region.”
Proximar has secured a ten-year sales and distribution agreement with Marubeni, which has already initiated sales discussions with seafood specialists.
The targeted long-term harvest capacity for Proximar is 5,300 tonnes (HOG) annually in Phase 1, with anticipated combined harvest volumes of approximately 4,700 tonnes (HOG) for 2024 and 2025.
