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Marubeni Corp. to begin selling land-based farm salmon in 2024

Courtesy of Marubeni Corp.
A rendering of the completed aquaculture farm where salmon will be raised in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:12 JST, May 6, 2022

Marubeni Corp. will begin sales of Atlantic salmon raised at a land-based farm in Shizuoka from 2024, the general trading company has announced.

Marubeni signed a contract with Norwegian land-based salmon farming company Proximar Seafood AS, which is constructing the farm, to be the exclusive seller and distributor of the salmon in Japan.

The salmon will be raised at a farm in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture. The hatchery begins operations in 2022, followed in stages by other parts of the facility. The predicted shipment volume for 2024 is 2,500 metric tons, with salmon directly sold to retailers, restaurants and other clients through Marubeni subsidiary Benirei Corp.

The facility is expected to harvest 5,300 metric tons of salmon per year when it reaches full capacity by 2027.

The land-based farm uses a closed recirculating aquaculture system which filters groundwater and other elements. Constructing the farm on land has the advantage of a stable production that without being impacted by weather conditions.

Currently, there are limited fishing grounds at sea suitable for aquaculture. Although land-based aquaculture is more expensive than sea-based farms, it reduces the environmental impact of unconsumed feed and fish excrement.