Management changes made at Icelandic fish farmer
Freshwater manager takes over biology role at Arnarlax as two directors step down
The finance and biology directors of Iceland salmon farmer Arnarlax have agreed to step down, Arnarlax owner Icelandic Salmon AS announced today.
Finance director Jónas Heiðar Birgisson and biology director Rolf Ørjan Nordli are leaving their positions as a part of a reorganisation.
Edvin Aspli, who has over the last months served as chief strategic officer and has three years’ experience from the aquaculture team in Kverva AS, has been appointed as acting chief financial officer until a permanent CFO is in place. The recruitment process for that post will start immediately.
Johnny Indergård, who has spent the last four years as freshwater manager for Arnarlax, has been appointed as chief operating officer biology.
“We want to thank Jónas and Rolf Ørjan for their contribution in the phase of building up the company and wish them all the best for the future,” said Icelandic Salmon, a subsidiary of the world’s second-largest Atlantic salmon farmer, SalMar.
NOK 69m loss in 2024
Icelandic Salmon harvested 11,700 gutted weight tonnes last year and made an operating loss of NOK 69 million.
In the first quarter of this year, it harvested 1,100 gwt (Q1 2024: 2,800 gwt) and made an operating loss of NOK 35m, which worked out at an EBIT per kilo of NOK -31.3.
“As expected, low harvest volume in the period with a continued high cost level. In addition, the results are negatively affected by incident-based mortality in sea with [a cost of] NOK 19 million,” wrote SalMar in its Q1 2025 report.
“The cost level in the second quarter of 2025 is expected to continue to be high and the volume is expected to be higher compared to the same quarter in 2024. Focus in 2025 is to build biomass in order to increase harvest volume in 2026.”
Volume guidance for 2025 is 15,000 gwt.
