Trondheim, Norway-based cod-farming venture Norcod has secured an additional farming site, allowing it to expand its production to 10,000 metric tons annually.
The new farm will be located in the sea in Meløy municipality in Norway’s Nordland county, more than 600 kilometers north of its primary farming sites off the island of Frøya. In a press release, Norcod said it eventually hopes to add a string of farms stretching from the Trøndelag region in mid-Norway northwards along the coast.
Norcod COO Rune Eriksen said the new farm is also closer to its juvenile production site, allowing for less transportation when they are transferred into the sea.
“The expansion in Meløy is a big step towards our 2025 production targets,” Eriksen said. “Meløy is a great location for us not only because of the ideal cold-water habitat for cod, but also because it is very close to our growth facility in Bodø. We are delighted with the positive attitude and the welcome we received from Meløy municipality. They put a lot of effort into helping us make this happen.”
Sigurd Stormo, the mayor of Meløy, welcomed the development, as the company has said it is in the process of hiring six full-time workers and an intern.
“We are very pleased that Norcod is establishing cod farming in Meløy. The initiative will provide new and important jobs in our municipality, and is also very positive for our local supplier companies,” Stormo said. “We have had very good dialogue with Norcod over the past year and look forward to continued good cooperation to create new development and employment opportunities.”
The company previously announced sales from its first harvest will begin this summer and the company has begun its second full production cycle for harvest volumes in 2022.
Norcod CEO Christian Riber told SeafoodSource earlier this month the company is aiming to produce 6,000 metric tons of fresh farmed cod in its first cycle, and a harvest volume of 10,000 MT in 2022.
“Market demand is high, with some samples fetching a strong NOK 65.00 [USD 7.66, EUR 6.39] per kilo and an average of NOK 56.00 [USD 6.60, EUR 5.50] per kilo,” Riber said.
Photo courtesy of Norcod
