Around 125,000 salmon eggs supplied by Benchmark Genetics from the Icelandic StofnFiskur breeding program were delivered to Proximar’s new hatchery facility at Oyama, Japan. The delivery marks the beginning of Atlantic salmon farming in Japan and gives to Proximar an important advantage in the market. The company will insert similar batches into the hatchery each month going forward.

The company is currently finishing a post-smolt grow-out facility and is expected to be serving fresh salmon to Japanese consumers in 2024.

“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,” said Dharma Rajeswaran, COO at Proximar.

“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 by the ambitious timeline, considering issues such as COVID-19 and a global shortage of raw material,” said Joachim Nielsen, CEO at Proximar. “The production start is a major milestone for the company and a significant step towards providing the Japanese people with sustainably produced seafood.”