Norcod has signed a partnership deal with Vesterålen Havbruk to harvest all of the fish grown at its Frosvika site in northern Norway. The three-year extendable agreement covers the slaughtering and processing of up to 10,000 metric tons (MT) of cod per year.
Vesterålen Havbruk’s fish-processing facility in Myre, Norway, already processes large volumes of wild-caught cod during the winter fishing season and its staff are highly experienced, according to a Norcod press release.
“The first harvest will take place from September 2022 into 2023,” Norcod Production Director Rune Eriksen said. “The fish were put to sea at Frosvika this summer, so it will be the culmination of almost two years’ hard work during the production cycle. We know our fish will be in the best hands.”
The agreement is a milestone for Vesterålen Havbruk, which said it will enable the company to use its processing facility year-round and maintain local employment. The company is also farming its own cod and will complete its first harvest next year, according to Vesterålen Havbruk CEO Brynjar Kværnstuen.
“Our employees are used to handling large volumes of cod during the main season and being able to transfer this knowledge into cod farming is key in the scale-up of the white-fish industry,” Kværnstuen said.
Eriksen said the agreement with a soon-to-be direct competitors in the farmed cod market has not an impediment in making the deal.
“We look forward to working together to build a new and sustainable cod-farming industry,” Eriksen said. “The market is crying out for fresh farmed cod year-round, so there’s plenty room for more players. Competition is good.”
Norcod’s sixth-generation cod are farmed in the same environment as wild-caught cod and have gained accolades in the marketplace, Eriksen said. Norcod’s strategic partner Sirena Group runs Norcod’s sales and marketing efforts, and has positioned and branded Norcod’s fish as a high-end product. Earlier this month, Norcod conducted its first commercial harvest from a pilot batch grown at partner Namdal Settefisk’s farm in mid-Norway and from a Norcod facility in Frøya. Harvesting agreements are in place with other operators for these farms. All fish performed well and achieved a high feed efficiency, with an average feed conversion rate of 1.007, according to the company’s Q3 results.
Photo courtesy of Norcod
