Start-up seaweed producer Foller Alger and salmon producer Cermaq have teamed up to test a new combined sea site for salmon and kelp in Steigen in Nordland, Norway.
This will be the world’s first farm built for the combined production of both salmon and kelp, whereby the seaweed will be grown inside the farm itself.
The sea site has been designed as a traditional salmon farming facility with 24 cages, but with special solutions for growing kelp in the middle cages and salmon in the outermost cages on each side.
SINTEF Ocean produced the first kelp delivery for stocking at sea. This was introduced to the site earlier this month.
“Combined operation can provide good area utilisation by producing several species within the same area. This area is already set aside for salmon, and by growing kelp on the same site in addition, we hope to be able to contribute to increasing value creation,” SINTEF Ocean Research Manager Silje Forbord said. “This set-up allows us to use the nutrients released by the salmon in a sensible way by producing kelp, which can in turn be used as a raw material in new feed.
According to Forbord, 50% better kelp growth can be achieved by cultivating it together with farmed fish.
“Now we will also look at whether there are more advantages to combined operation.”
“Fish farming and kelp farming are both industries for the future, and will be important contributors to the green shift,” Folla Alger Chairman Tarald Sivertsen said.
Cermaq’s Production Director in Nordland Truls Hansen said the project utilises nutrients from the net pens as a resource and obtains more alternative feed raw materials.
“It is good circular economy. In addition, the project contributes to increased local value creation and business development, which is very positive for everyone who lives and works here,” he said.
With some of the water-soluble nutrients from the salmon net pens will fertilise the kelp and lead to increased carbon sequestration as the kelp grows.
The project will also look at how kelp production affects the aquatic environment in the net pens, and what effect the combined production has on the health of the fish in the cages.
Folla Alger has been granted Research and Development licenses from the Directorate of Fisheries to carry out the project.
SINTEF Ocean is responsible for the research, which will be carried out in close collaboration with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Nord University.
