Producing yellowtail kingfish in Denmark and Norway, Nordic Kingfish set out in 2015 to become a leader in land-based aquaculture, with its locations placed close to significant markets – and BactiQuant’s water quality monitoring has been key to its growth.
“We started the project because yellowtail kingfish is a young species in the aquaculture industry. You don’t find as much information about the culture of this fish as you do for salmon or other well-established species,” Nordic Kingfish Hatchery Manager Yaser Zahedi said.
“It took some time, involving trial and error and a research and development phase, to get things right. We started formal production in 2017, and by 2018 we were sending our first batches of fish to the grow-out facilities. Since then, we’ve been producing continuously.”
Zahedi confirmed that the aim over the last three years has been to triple production.
“So far, the fish we’ve delivered have proven that we can achieve this goal. Additionally, we have a new leadership team, including a CEO with a professional background in aquaculture. This expertise has been invaluable for identifying and addressing challenges.”
These have been primarily in the larval culture section, where preparing optimal and consistent conditions is not easy as factors such temperature fluctuations, pH, salinity, and feed quality all play critical roles.
“If not handled correctly, live feed such as rotifers, copepods, and artemia can introduce bacteria, causing ripple effects throughout the system. My colleagues focus daily on ensuring high-quality feed and maintaining microbial stability,” he said.
Bacterial threshold
The system supplied by Danish company BactiQuant to manage water quality has made a significant difference to operations at Nordic Kingfish, enabling the hatchery to establish a bacterial threshold, ensuring stable conditions and reducing mortality rates, Zahedi explained.
“Before, we struggled to control the microbiology of our system. We relied on petri dishes, which were time-consuming and less precise. We didn’t have enough personnel, so it was challenging to focus on both production and microbiological monitoring. BactiQuant has given us a reliable tool to measure bacterial load, helping us quickly identify and address problems.
“At one point, our fish showed symptoms we couldn’t attribute to a specific cause. We weren’t sure if it was bacteria, parasites, or chemical factors such as high ammonia or nitrate. Using BactiQuant, we measured a high bacterial load and identified it as the root cause. By addressing this, we reduced bacterial levels and established a threshold to maintain stability in our larviculture unit.”
Expansion plans
The addition of BactiQuant’s monitoring tool has been beneficial enough to enable Nordic Kingfish upscale production, with the hatchery doubling its production and planning to triple it in the coming years.
“It’s also reduced the need for external lab testing, saving time and resources. Sending samples to a lab can delay results by days, which is too late for larvae. BactiQuant gives us near real-time data, enabling immediate action. Every time we have a problem or have to deal with a critical situation, the first thing we do is to take a BactiQuant test, refer to the database we have generated over the years and compare our current results with historical ones.”
This, Zahedi said, allows the hatchery to understand the extent of the problem, pinpoint its point of origin, and also eliminate assumptions that might otherwise be costly and irrelevant.
“Once we have solved the potential challenge, we sample again to verify that our water quality is back to desired levels,” he said, commenting that stable microbiology and microflora are key to success in aquaculture.
“Whether through high water exchange or recirculation systems, having a reliable tool to measure and maintain bacterial levels is essential. This has been transformative for Nordic Kingfish. Without BactiQuant, we’d need to hire additional staff or rely heavily on external labs. It’s helped us maintain system stability, which is critical for reducing mortality and improving overall efficiency.”
