Andfjord Salmon released smolt in its first land-based pool at Kvalnes, Andøya, Norway, on 25 June, the company has confirmed.
“Release of first smolt is obviously an important and enjoyable milestone for Andfjord Salmon. The operation was well prepared and was executed in a safe and predictable manner,” said Martin Rasmussen, CEO of Andfjord Salmon.
Approximately 200,000 smolt at an average weight of 120 grams were released into the pool. The smolt was supplied by Nordland Akva AS.
“Our concept is centered around recreating the salmon’s natural habitat on land, as far as it is practically possible to do so. We are now entering a period with increasing amount of natural light and rising temperatures. This is good for fish health and development,” Rasmussen said.
According to Andfjord Salmon, the smolt have quickly adapted to their new surroundings and the biological conditions in the pool are exactly as planned.
“This has been a great start, but the hard work starts now. We look forward to proving the many excellent benefits of our land-based fish farming facility in the coming months and years,” Rasmussen said.
Andfjord Salmon holds a license to produce 10,000 tonnes maximum allowed biomass (MAB) of salmon at Kvalnes, which is equivalent to a target production volume of 19,000 tonnes HOG.
