The first eggs successfully inserted into company’s hatchery in Oyama.
The company says that around 125 000 eggs were inserted in this first batch and the ova arrived the hatchery in excellent condition. The eggs, supplied by Benchmark Genetics and their Icelandic StofnFiskur breeding program, have shown great performance in land-based facilities, including AquaMaof’s R&D facility in Poland
“After meticulous preparations, it is wonderful to finally initiate production. The team is ready, the facility is perfect and we have everything we need to provide ideal hatching and growth conditions,” Dharma Rajeswaran, COO of Proximar, says in the message.
This egg insertion marks the starting point for farming of Atlantic Salmon in Japan, giving Proximar a significant first mover advantage. The company says they will insert similar batches into the hatchery each month going forward, enabling continuous harvest from medio 2024.
“The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. I see it as a great achievement of our organization and suppliers to complete the facility in accordance with the ambitious timeline, considering issues such as covid-19 and global shortage of raw material,” Joachim Nielsen, CEO of Proximar, says.
“The production start is a major milestone for the company and a significant step towards providing the Japanese people with sustainably produced seafood,” concludes Nielsen.
While production has been initiated in the Hatchery and Nursery building, the Post Smolt Grow out facility is still under construction. Proximar expects the facility to be completed according to schedule.