A new centre for salmon breeding and egg production will be opened in Steigen, Norway, next week by Norwegian minister of fisheries, Elisabeth Aspaker.
The NOK160m cooperative project between AquaGen AS and Nordnorsk Stamfisk AS (NST) will ensure the future of value creation from salmon breeding in the northern parts of Norway.
The facility will start off with the capacity to produce 100 million eggs per year, with a potential for 50 additional million per year in the future. This will contribute towards the increased insurance of delivery together with reduced biological risk, making Norwegian aquaculture better equipped for sustainable growth in years to come. AquaGen will be responsible for the production of brood fish and eggs.
“High quality breeding is a prerequisite for successful aquaculture business, and the commitment made by AquaGen and NST in the region, makes an important contribution towards a sustainable development in aquaculture”, said Ms Aspaker.
Nordnorsk Stamfisk AS (NST) is the result of a strategic cooperation between several large aquaculture companies, spearheaded by AquaGen, and three of the world’s leading producers of seafood – Cermaq Norway AS, Nordlaks Oppdrett AS and Nova Sea AS.
The northern part of Norway is responsible for close to 40% of the country’s total salmon production. All salmon eggs, however, have until 2015 been produced in the central and southern part of Norway. The opening of this new facility in Steigen makes all expertise and infrastructure needed for the entire value chain available in northern Norway. The state-of-the-art facility makes it possible to transfer research- and experience based knowledge more efficiently to products useful for the industry, and contributes significantly towards security and predictability in the fields of egg delivery and biosafety.
