Spain’s first land-based Atlantic salmon farm, located in the Alto Asón de Ramales de la Victoria Business Park in the town of Riancho, Cantabria, will begin producing fish in October.
Opened by Mexican company Norcantabric, with the support of the Cantabrian government, the facility’s first stage of production is expected to deliver between 120 and 150 metric tons (MT) of salmon. Its first salmon are expected to be harvested in 22 months’ time.
When the plant is at full capacity, it should be capable of producing 3,000 MT of salmon, which currently represents 5 percent of the total salmon consumption in Spain, a market of EUR 300 million (USD 351.2 million), the company said.
The first phase consists of three basic areas for production: incubation, first feeding, and fattening; while the second phase, scheduled for next year, will consist of the construction of the fattening plant, where the specimens they will reach between four and five kilograms in weight.
According to Norcantabric, the fish will be grown under an automated process and fed with natural nutrients and free of any type of antibiotics, pathogens, hormones, or other artificial materials.
The system uses technology from the Danish company Alpha-Aqua, which Norcantabric said allows for very low water costs, lower energy consumption, food savings, shorter growth-cycle times, and lower mortality rates.
Norcantabric’s reported investment in the farm over two phases is EUR 32 million (USD 37.5 million), while Cantabrian authorities have supported the project with an initial contribution of EUR 3 million (USD 3.5 million) – comprising EUR 2 million (USD 2.3 million) from the General Directorate of Fisheries through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (FEMP), and EUR 1 million (USD 1.2 million) through SODERCAN.
The venture, built on a 25,000-square-meter plot, is expected to provide 50 specialized jobs.
Photo courtesy of Norcantabric
