Benguela Blue Aqua Farming has secured permits to raise Atlantic salmon in net pens off the coast of Namibia with the help of US aquaculture tech company Innovasea.
The farm will be located 8km offshore from the town of Lüderitz and will use Innovasea’s submersible SeaStation pens, submerged grid infrastructure and other open ocean technology to raise its fish.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Benguela Blue Aqua Farming on this important project to bring open ocean aquaculture to southern Africa,” Innovasea Senior Vice President of Business Development Langley Gace said. “The company has a strong business vision and has worked closely with authorities in Namibia to develop a smart, realistic plan to safely raise healthy fish and create good-paying jobs for the local economy.”
Innovasea’s consulting services helped Benguela Blue obtain the permits required to run a trial operation consisting of up to four SeaStations as well as a permit to raise up to 35,000 tonnes of fish annually.
“We are proud to be the first company to bring sustainable aquafarming to Namibia,” Benguela Blue Aqua Farming Co-founder and Executive Director Johannes Aldrian said. “The area has excellent water conditions and enormous potential, and we’re optimistic that Namibia’s stable governance will encourage other companies to follow our lead to help create a thriving fish farming industry.”
The farm is targeting the second-quarter of 2024 to begin operations. Its first harvest is expected to be around 100 tonnes.
Water conditions at the site are ideal for raising salmon, but strong surface currents and wave heights often in excess of 2 metres require the use of submersible pens that can be submerged to avoid most of the wave energy.
“The open ocean is the future of fish farming and provides a healthier, more natural environment for fish by reducing their exposure to pathogens,” said Gace. “But it requires robust equipment like the SeaStation and our submerged grids to withstand the day-to-day punishment of the sea.”
