Norwegian trout-farming company Firda Seafood Group has reached a deal with the Landøy family to purchase a 51 percent stake in Landøy Fiskeoppdrett, the company announced in a press release.
Firda Seafood Group is a family-owned producer of trout in Western Norway, producing fjord trout. The company got its start over 30 years ago and has a turnover of more than NOK 2.5 billion (USD 219 million, EUR 213 million) each year.
Landøy Fiskeoppdrett is located in the Akvoll municipality and has a total of three farming licenses and runs four different sites. According to Firda, the company has eight employees and will continue to operate independently.
“Landøy will continue as its own company but gain access to services and competence from our organization through cooperation, such as slaughter and sales services, access to boats and staff in operation, smolt, administrative services, etc.,” Firda Seafood Group said.
Firda said that collaboration will be key for both companies to ensure better access to raw materials to ensure better operations for both companies.
“This is how both Firda and Landøy will ensure further development and growth and safe and good workplaces in the communities where we operate,” Firda Seafood Group said.
The exact terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Firda Seafood Group President Ola Braanaas has been a vocal critic of Norway’s “traffic light” system, which governs the sustainable management of Norway’s aquaculture industry.
“It does not take fish welfare into account; on the contrary, those farmers who have the best welfare and who stay within the framework of the lice regulations are punished the hardest,” Braanaas said. “This happens at the same time that others with poor fish welfare are rewarded by being able to buy growth.”