Family-owned Norwegian salmon farmer Nordlaks Group has purchased a 70-acre plot of land in Rødskjær, Norway, for NOK 143 million (USD 13.5 million, EUR 12.2 million) as the first step toward constructing a new smolt facility.
The company said it signed the contract for the land on 23 September, and will begin working to prepare the plot for construction soon. The company said the new facility will add to its three existing smolt facilities in Innhavet, Mørsvika, and Nusfjord. The new facility will be larger, with capacity to house several million fish, according to Nordlaks Executive Director Eirik Welde said.
“If we manage to achieve what we want here at Rødskjær, it will have major ripple effects,” Welde said.
According to Nordlaks, the project will cost at least NOK 1 billion (USD 94.6 billion, EUR 85.7 million).
Nordlaks said the facility will allow it to raise larger smolt on land before they are released to the sea. The company said the goal is to grow smolt of between 500 grams and a kilogram – up from the industry standard of 150 to 200 grams.
“By allowing the salmon to grow larger on land, we reduce the time the salmon live in the sea. This reduces the risk of disease and the salmon is less exposed to lice,” Nordlaks Smolt Operations Director Øivind Skjevling said. “It simply provides better fish welfare. To achieve this, we need more smolt facilities.”
The strategy of releasing larger smolt into the sea is being adopted by a number of different salmon aquaculture companies in Norway, including Mowi and Grieg.
Nordlaks said the strategy will allow it to make better use of its existing locations, and increase its overall salmon production.
In its most recent results report, Nordlaks said its salmon production decreased slightly to ...
