Proximar Seafood has successfully completed its first commercial harvest of Atlantic salmon from its land-based facility in Japan, marking a significant milestone in both the company’s operations and for the Japanese salmon market.
This harvest represents the first time domestically produced Atlantic salmon has been harvested in Japan, according to a press release from the company on Monday.
Operating at the foot of Mount Fuji, Proximar is the only supplier of domestically produced Atlantic salmon in the country, and the company plans to ramp up daily harvests starting in late October. The initial trial harvest, which yielded around 1.2 tons of salmon averaging 4 kg HOG (head-on gutted), confirmed the smooth operation of the company’s equipment and processes.
Joachim Nielsen, CEO of Proximar Seafood, stated, “I am immensely proud to see all the hard work from our excellent team being commercially validated through the first harvest. Our Atlantic salmon shows high quality, and based on feedback from partners, I am confident we are providing Japanese consumers with a longed-for local product with unparalleled freshness.”
Proximar is selling its salmon under the newly launched brand “Fuji Atlantic Salmon,” named after the iconic Mount Fuji. The company expects this branding to resonate well with both Japanese and Asian markets, capitalizing on the area’s reputation for high-quality water resources.
The harvested fish will be distributed to customers in the Greater Tokyo region through Proximar’s distribution partner, Marubeni. The company has set a long-term goal to produce 5,300 tonnes of Atlantic salmon annually, with expected combined harvest volumes of 4,700 tonnes for 2024 and 2025.
Proximar’s first harvest has generated strong interest in the market, with the company reporting prices in line with expectations, higher than the import price of Norwegian Atlantic salmon to Japan.
