Fish Health

Sustainable farming takes place on the salmon’s terms and needs

At SalMar Aker Ocean, we aim to produce sustainable and healthy food for a growing global population, focusing on the well-being of the salmon. Sustainable farming takes place on the salmon’s terms and needs, with health and welfare as the top priority in every decision guiding the development of our operations.

Fish welfare is crucial for successful aquaculture. SalMar Aker Ocean is actively engaged in developing and implementing measures and procedures to enhance fish welfare.

We have set ambitious goals that we work diligently to achieve every day:

  • >97% survival rate in sea
  • >95% superior share
  • Biological feed conversion ratio <1.10
  • 0 escapes
  • 0 lice treatments
  • 100% of sites certified by ASC
  • Production time in the sea <10 months

We invest in technology that supports better fish health and welfare

One of the key strategies for achieving our goals is farming in exposed locations where fish experience excellent environmental conditions. We actively survey locations with favorable environments both in Norway and internationally for further development.

Our investment in technology includes advanced camera systems to measure lice levels, weight, welfare, and behavior, as well as sensors that provide real-time environmental data.

To reduce the time our salmon spend in the sea phase, we only deploy post-smolt in our facilities. By releasing larger, more robust fish, the time spent in open pens is shortened by several months, which is crucial to achieving our goal of zero lice treatments.

The biological performance from past production cycles shows that we are on the right path to meeting our objectives

Our technology has enabled us to use more exposed sites with good environmental conditions, where fish have the best conditions for growth and welfare. Unique feeding technology and expertise ensure all fish have good access to feed while staying at greater depths, promoting growth and minimizing lice infestations.

Over the first four production cycles at Ocean Farm 1 (OF1), we have had only two lice treatments. At Arctic Offshore Farming (AOF), with less operational experience, we completed the first cycle without lice treatment and have had just one treatment for fish currently in the sea. AOF is a submerged concept, and we are confident it can be managed without lice treatments. For the initial cycles, fish were introduced from sea farms with existing lice levels. Starting from the next deployment, post-smolt will be introduced directly from the land facility at Gaia. Early lice data from AOF suggest that direct deployment from a land-based facility will enable us to operate without the need for lice treatments.

We know that handling fish is one of the main contributors to mortality. Additionally, fish must be starved before treatment and have a reduced appetite afterward. By avoiding multiple lice treatments, we can reduce mortality and achieve better growth. Faster growth also shortens the time fish spend in the sea, reducing exposure and the risk of lice and other diseases.

The graph illustrates the time from deployment to slaughter weight of 5.0 kg HOG for 700-gram post-smolt at OF1, 700-gram post-smolt in traditional farms, and 150-gram smolt in traditional farms. All comparisons use June deployments and the temperature profile at Ocean Farm 1. OF1 growth for 2023-generation was modeled with a Termal Growth Factor (TGC) of 3.5, while traditional farms used an estimated industry average TGC of 2.8.

Ocean Farm 1 reaches 5 kg gutted weight in 37 weeks (8.5 months). Traditional farming with post-smolt takes 50 weeks (almost 12 months), and traditional farming with 150-gram smolt takes 65 weeks (15 months). Good growth is a clear indicator of fish welfare, and the positive results at OF1 reflect this. Reducing time in the sea also lowers the risk of lice and disease exposure. Annual production cycles allow synchronized stocking and harvesting each year, maximizing operational efficiency and ensuring optimal fish welfare.

Source: The Fish Health Report for each year by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute

The bar chart shows non-medicinal lice treatments per generation at OF1 compared to the average annual non-medicinal treatments per site in production area 6 (PA6 – Nordmøre and Sør-Trøndelag). Note that OF1 data represents entire generations, whereas PA6 data are annual. Since traditional production cycles last around 15-18 months, the number of treatments per generation is likely higher than shown.

This bar chart compares the average mortality across all historical production in SalMar Aker Ocean (first three cycles at OF1 and first cycle at AOF) with average mortality per production cycle in PA6 from the 2019 to 2023 generations. The combination of good sites, fewer lice treatments, and shorter time at sea significantly reduces mortality. Most mortality in our units is linked to fish handling and delousing operations. We constantly learn from our operations and believe our target of sub-3% mortality is within reach, potentially even during the current cycle at OF1.

Source: Statistics for salmon mortality from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute

To further reduce lice risk and fish handling, we are testing lice lasers at OF1

Combined with already low lice counts, we expect no need for non-medicinal treatments for future generations at OF1.