Norwegian-Japanese fish farmer Proximar Seafood reported a standing biomass of 1,389 tonnes at its Oyama facility in Japan as of September 29, up from 1,294 tonnes at the end of the second quarter. Gross biomass growth in the period was 524 tonnes, including 429 tonnes harvested.
The company currently has 21 batches in production, with about 2.2 million Atlantic salmon. Third-quarter harvest volume reached 356 tonnes head-on gutted (HOG), bringing the year-to-date harvest to about 1,000 tonnes.
Growth during the quarter was affected by fish transfers into the final production module and by adjustments to the feeding system. Proximar said improvements have been made and further adjustments are underway.
The salmon achieved an average net price of NOK64 (USD 5.80) per kilogram in the quarter, reflecting weaker spot prices, currency effects, and a larger share of smaller fish around three kilograms.
By contrast, fish over three kilograms achieved NOK94 per kilogram net, a premium compared with imported salmon. The average harvest weight was 2.33 kilograms HOG, with 99.2 per cent graded as superior quality.
“Production growth and harvest in the third quarter were affected by extensive fish transfers and some feeding system issues. On the positive side, we continue to see low mortality and a high share of superior quality in our harvest,” CEO Joachim Nielsen said.
He added that with all modules in operation, growth rates are expected to increase and harvest size to gradually return to three kilograms and above.
