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Getting the Most Out of Our Employees
While Respecting Diversity and Inclusion
Human Resource Development
Our Approach
We believe that employees grow after obtaining practical, first-hand experience. The foundation of our human resource development is fostering a proactive stance where employees work every day to embody our mission and values and thorough on-the-job training led by a supervisor or senior colleague intended to support colleague growth.
We support human resource development through this practical, on-the-job experience. To complement this, we have put into place a number of opportunities for growth and for fostering a work ethic of self-improvement.
Ideal Human Resources for Embodying our Mission and Values
- ● Human resources with a strong problem-solving ability
- ● Human resources who can contribute to the success of the team
- ● Human resources who is a globally minded professional
- ● Human resources willing to take on new challenges
Our Initiatives
1 TOEIC Certification Incentive Program
In order to develop human resources who can play an active role globally, we have established a program that subsidizes the TOEIC examination fee (unlimited number of tests) and rewards employees who earn a certain score with a bonus. As of the end of June 2024, a total of 14 employees (cumulative number) received this bonuses under the TOEIC certification incentive program since the program was introduced in August 2021.
| Score | 35 years of age and younger | 36 years of age and older |
|---|---|---|
| 750 points and higher | 100,000 yen | 50,000 yen |
| 825 points and higher | 200,000 yen | 100,000 yen |
| 900 points and higher | 300,000 yen | 150,000 yen |
2 Global Career Opportunities
Recognizing that international work experience is extremely effective in developing human resources who can play an active role globally, as of the end of December 2025, we have assigned 11 of our 114 full-time employees to our overseas locations as expatriate employees.
Going forward, we will continue to actively provide employees with opportunities to gain work experience abroad.
Promoting Occupational Safety: Initiatives to Ensure Safety in the Aquaculture Business
Issues
Sea farms are located offshore. Daily feeding typically requires a feeder boat to travel to the cage, which can be dangerous in bad weather. In order to make aquaculture a sustainable business, we believe that it is our task to further improve the safety of employees involved in the Aquaculture Business.
The group’s Initiatives
Improvement of feeding work by introduction of barge
In the fall of 2022, our subsidiary Japan Salmon Farm Inc. introduced automatic feeding by barge for the first time in Japan. Barges are non-propelled boats that can store feed for about two weeks. The barges enable the stocking of feed onboard and implementation of remote feeding. The replenishment of feed on barges can be done in bulk when weather conditions are favorable, improving the safety of workers involved in the process.
Other Effects from Utilizing Barges
The utilization of remote-controlled feeding using barges ensures feeding operations are not affected by worker proficiency in seamanship or working at sea, which makes it possible to hire diverse human resources.
In addition, since it is easier to obtain and analyze feeding data more precisely through remote control, we can expect to accumulate the know-how for best feeding practices.
In addition, this application is expected to positively impact the growth of aquaculture fish. In the past, we had to give up feeding on bad weather days, which raised concerns about the impact on growth. With the introduction of barges, feeding is uninterrupted regardless of the weather, and stable growth of aquaculture fish can be achieved.
Improving Work Spaces at Sea Farm Cages
The cages used in Japan are generally about 25 meters in diameter and the work space is limited. As such, work has to be done in relatively unstable conditions. The group imports large fish cages (40 meters in diameter) from Denmark that are manufactured outside of Japan. Large fish cages are more stable at sea and offer a wider working space, leading to improved worker safety.
Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion
Background
Population decline, low birthrate and an ageing population have become major issues facing Japan since 2008. Among these, the population in Aomori prefecture, where we were founded, is rapidly decreasing. Each year, Aomori ranks among the top prefectures in Japan in the rate of population decline. According to the Aomori Prefecture Long-term Population Vision of the prefectural government’s Planning and Policy Department, the prefecture’s population is expected to decline from 1.23 million in 2021 to around 820,000 in 2045. Moreover, elderly as a percentage of Aomori’s population was most recently 33.9%, which was above the national average of 28.1%. A reason for the declining population in Aomori is the outflow of people from the prefecture as a whole. This trend is particularly true for Aomori City, which is the prefectural capital. Currently, residents move out of the prefecture as they graduate from high school or university for work. This is because of the relatively limited number of attractive companies and job opportunities, as well as lower pay.
Our Approach
As most of our domestic production activities are carried out by people living in Aomori Prefecture, it is essential to develop a work environment that enables diverse employees to play an active role for the maintenance and expansion of our business given that the population in Aomori is declining and ageing.
By incorporating the advanced knowledge and know-how of aquaculture from our Danish subsidiary Musholm A/S, we will create rewarding jobs in Aomori Prefecture, which has been experiencing depopulation for many years. We hope to promote initiatives that encourage the active participation of human resources.
Our Initiatives
We are making the following efforts for stable long-term employment of diverse human resources.
Job Creation in Cities at risk of disappearing
All of the salmon trout aquaculture farms operated by Japan Salmon Farm Inc. are located in depopulated areas in Aomori Prefecture. We hope to revitalize these communities by operating a business with high social contribution in communities that could vanish altogether to attract locals to apply for jobs or entice young people who had once left the prefecture to return.
Diversity in Hiring at the Aomori Head Office
We believe the provision of a stable place of employment to the elderly in Aomori, where the population is ageing, is a significant way of contributing to society. We have established a workplace environment where even seniors can work with peace of mind. Examples include offering boots with improved anti-slip performance, and displaying signage in larger, easier to read fonts.
In 2025, we have entered the 11 year of hosting technical intern trainees from Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. We have put up signage for equipment handling precautions in Vietnamese, Burmese and Indonesian for these trainees. We will continue to offer a vibrant employment environment in the suburbs of Aomori City where young technical intern trainees from foreign countries and local seniors can work together.
Utilizing a Diverse Workforce in Our Aquaculture Business and Ensuring Their Safety
By implementing remote-controlled feeding using a barge, we are creating opportunities for a diverse range of human resources to play an active role regardless of their proficiency in seamanship or working at sea.
In addition, the use of barges and the improvement of working spaces in cages have improved the safety of workers, leading to more opportunities for the utilization of diverse human resources.
Initiatives for Acquiring Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations
Following the March 2024 certification of our subsidiary, Japan Salmon Farm Inc., as a 2024 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization (Small- and Medium- Sized Enterprise Category), our company was also certified in March 2025 as a 2025 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization (Small- and Medium- Sized Enterprise Category). We will continue activities that contribute to employee health and aim for management that prioritizes human capital.