A pump failure at a Japan-based salmon farm owned by Proximar Seafood has killed 170,000 fish, the company said on 29 May.
According to the company, the incident occurred overnight on 28 May due to a series of failures – both automated and manual. While a tank was being filled to prepare it for an upcoming fish transfer, automated valves failed and necessitated the process to be handled in manual mode. A human error and breach of procedure then caused the pump sump level to fall below its minimum set point, and the circulation pumps stopped.
“Following this, the oxygen level in two tanks fell below critical levels, leading to mortality,” the company said.
Though emergency oxygen was activated, it did not supply the needed levels to protect the fish.
The company said it expects a loss of NOK 12 million (USD 1.2 million, EUR 1 million) and a 550-metric-ton (MT) drop in its Q4 2025 harvest.
In a statement it shared about the event, Proximar referenced a lack of tank capacity that was slowing production, which it had previously discussed in its Q1 2025 report.
“The loss of fish will free up such tank capacity going forward and permit changes in harvest plan to optimize production and increase average harvest weight achievements. In addition, it is expected to positively impact price achievement,” the company said.
With these optimizations, the company believes that the net effect of the event will be a loss of only 350 MT, bringing the total 2025 harvest to an estimated 3,000 MT.
This was not the first facility issue Proximar has experienced.
In December 2024, the company announced that an incident with a biofilter at its grow-out facility had occurred but that it had been remedied before causing any fish mortalities.
A similar incident occurred in October 2024, where no mortalities were reported but which caused feeding to be slowed in order to maintain water quality.
Proximar sold its first salmon under the Fuji Atlantic Salmon brand in late 2024. In January 2025, the company said it was pleased the price it had achieved for the harvest but that its growth was being held back by biological challenges with biofilters.
