Proximar Seafood has harvested Atlantic salmon from its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Japan.
The company’s facility in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, has been operational since October 2022 and has been steadily raising batches of salmon ever since. The company experienced a tank breach in February 2024 that killed 50,000 salmon but, since that time, has taken steps to prevent further incidents and has not reported any other issues.
With the first harvest, Proximar revealed it will be selling its Atlantic salmon under the brand Fuji Atlantic Salmon – which it said is the first domestically produced Atlantic salmon harvested in Japan.
“Proximar is the only supplier of domestically produced Atlantic salmon in Japan, years ahead of competition,” Proximar Seafood CEO Joachim Nielsen said. “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 company said its first batch of salmon came in at an average of 4 kilograms head-on gutted (HOG) with 100 percent superior quality. While Proximar did not reveal the price it achieved for the salmon in its announcement, it said it “aligns with the company’s expectations of premium prices compared to the import price to Japan of Norwegian Atlantic salmon.”
“Our Atlantic salmon shows high quality, and based on the feedback from our partners and others, I am confident that we are providing Japanese consumers with a longed-for local product with unparalleled freshness,” Nielsen said.
Proximar said the first harvest will be sold and shipped to customers in the Greater Tokyo area and added that the first harvest volume was a trial of 1.2 metric tons (MT) to confirm its equipment and processes are working. The company said it will begin harvesting salmon daily in late October.
Proximar’s targeted long-term harvest level for the facility is 5,300 MT HOG per year in Phase 1, with a gradual ramp-up from the first harvest. Volumes for 2024 and 2025 combined are currently estimated to be 4,700 MT HOG.
That Phase 1 harvest target aligns with the plan the company announced before it had broken ground. Proximar originally said that when completed, the full project could raise up to 26,400 MT of Atlantic salmon a year.
The company also said it is currently ramping up its sales efforts now that it has revealed its new brand. Proximar’s RAS facility is located near Mount Fuji, and the company has mentioned its proximity to the mountain and featured it in photos throughout the facility’s development.
“Mount Fuji is an iconic landmark in Japan, and the area is known for high-quality water resources,” Nielsen said. “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.”
The company said it is initiating its sales through its 10-year sales and distribution agreement with Marubeni. Proximar said Marubeni reached a sales agreement with a customer specializing in seafood in June.
