Proximar suffers fish loss after pump failure at Mount Fuji facility.
Land-based salmon farmer Proximar Seafood has reported a significant mortality event following a pump failure at its grow-out facility in Japan.
The company said around 170,000 fish, equivalent to 550 tonnes of harvest volume, were lost after circulation pumps shut down during a night-time tank-filling operation. The fish had been scheduled for harvest in Q4 2025, with Proximar estimating the financial impact of the mortality at approximately NOK 12 million ($1.16 million / €1.03 million).
In a statement issued Thursday, Proximar attributed the incident to human error and a breach of procedures after automated valves malfunctioned and the process was shifted to manual control. The water level in the pump sump fell below the minimum threshold, triggering a shutdown of the circulation pumps and leading to oxygen depletion in two tanks. Although emergency oxygen systems were activated, they failed to deliver the necessary oxygen levels.
An internal investigation is under way to determine why the emergency systems underperformed.
Despite the loss, Proximar said the incident would free up tank capacity that had previously constrained harvest size. The company expects to partially offset the shortfall by adjusting the harvest plan, which could allow for higher average fish weights and improved price achievement. Preliminary estimates suggest this could recover around 200 tonnes of volume, reducing the net impact to 350 tonnes.
Proximar now expects to harvest approximately 3,000 tonnes in 2025.
Repairs to the facility’s final biofilter are on schedule, with inoculation and circulation expected around 1 June. Full grow-out capacity is anticipated to resume by mid-June.
An updated assessment will be provided in the company’s next trading update, expected in early July.
Proximar Seafood is a Norwegian company operating a land-based salmon farm at the foot of Mount Fuji. The site began operations in October 2022 and completed its first harvest in September 2024. Its salmon is marketed under the Fuji Atlantic Salmon brand, with sales supported by Japanese trading house Marubeni. The company promotes its short supply chain to the Tokyo market as a cost- and carbon-efficient alternative to imported fish.