Norwegian Atlantic cod farmer Norcod AS harvested 345 metric tons (MT) of fish in Q3 2021 – the company’s first commercial harvest – and generated revenues of NOK 15.9 million (USD 1.9 million, EUR 1.6 million).
According to the Oslo Stock Exchange-listed company’s third-quarter 2021 report, it also transferred a batch of 2.4 million fish to three sea sites in Meløy and Frøya during the summer. With the transfer completed on 1 July, the report said "these cod have since shown excellent growth and survival rates."
“I’m personally delighted, but this is all down to the dedication of our site technicians caring for the fish on a daily basis and ensuring the feeding regime is executed precisely,” Norcod Production Director Rune Eriksen said in a press release.
This was Norcod’s second round of cod fry production in land-based growth facilities, with the growth phase lasting between five and six months. At the point of transfer to sea pens, the juveniles weighed between 80 to 100 grams. According to the Eriksen, Norcod achieved feed ratios of 1.007 kilograms of feed to 1 kilogram of cod.
“We’ve received very positive feedback on the quality of the product, with one whitefish category manager at a Spanish buyer writing simply, ‘It’s perfect!’” Norcod CEO Christian Riber said.
Harvest volumes from the 2021 batch are expected to be market-ready by 2022-2023.
Also in Q3, Norcod began the construction of a new cod fry facility in Florø through a 50-50 joint-venture with fry producer Havlandet Marin Yngel AS. The Havlandet Norcod AS production site, which has a license to produce 24 million fry per year, will be ready to receive its first fry in autumn 2022.
As a result of the JV, Norcod is the only commercial cod farming company with guaranteed direct access to cod fry from its own facilities. It will also provide fry to others in the cod-farming sector.
“Building a brand-new fry facility in Florø is an important step for Norcod on the journey toward achieving harvest volumes of 25,000 MT of fresh farmed cod by 2025,” the report states.
Norcod expects the production volume from its first cycle of sea placements to reach 5,000 MT, however, high sea temperatures during the summer 2021 saw sea production progress at a slightly slower pace, thereby extending its harvest plan by a further two months. The first production cycle is now expected to be fully harvested by the end of the first-quarter 2022.
Preparations are also underway for the third round of juvenile transfer to land-based growth facilities. This batch of seventh-generation juvenile cod from Havlandet Marine Yngel is scheduled to go into the sea phase in spring 2022, after starting their growth phase during Q4 2021.
Photo courtesy of Norcod
