Japanese seafood firms Mitsubishi Corporation and Maruha Nichiro Corporation have agreed to establish a new joint-venture company, Atland Corporation, that will specialise in the land-based production of salmon.
Atland will be established in Nyuzen town of Toyama prefecture in around October 2022, with Mitsubishi owning 51% and Maruha Nichiro 49%.
Following the establishment of the company, a land-based aquaculture facility with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes (live weight equivalent) will be constructed in Nyuzen town, with the aims of starting operations in 2025 and completing the first delivery in 2027.
Mitsubishi and Maruha Nichiro said they had been discussing the joint promotion of the project since March 2021, with the project expected to help develop a sustainable and stable land-based production system, efficient digital-tech-based operations, local production for local consumption, and progress in decarbonisation.
The Atland facility will use ground water originating from the Kurobe River and deep seawater from the Toyama Bay.
Completion of the project is subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities.
