Smolts to be grown on for longer

17 institutions, including Nofima, have been earmarked as Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFI), and will receive funding to develop concepts for a new closed containment stage between smolt production in fresh water and ongrowing phase in the sea, in a bid to increase survival and decrease the problems caused by lice and escapees.

“This is part of the drive to take the aquaculture industry and the supplier industry onwards to the next generation,” says Nils Haga, Division Director at Nofima.

The centre is to be called CtrlAQUA (Centre for Research-based Innovations in Controlled-environment Aquaculture), and Nofima’s Bendik Fyhn Terjesen has been appointed director. Senior Scientist Harald Takle from Nofima in Ås will lead work at the centre into preventative fish health, while Lars Ebbesson of Uni Research in Bergen is to lead the work with fish production and welfare. The University of Bergen will have principal responsibility for research education at the centre. The total budget for CtrlAQUA will be NOK 196 million, spread over eight years.

“We are delighted that we have been granted funding for research in this field, with innovation as its goal. We have a broad network of scientists, suppliers and the aquaculture industry in this centre, and all are eager and expectant,” says Fyhn Terjesen.

“They are expectant because the purpose of the allocation of the centre is to strengthen the innovation capacity of Norwegian industry, and because it is expected that the centre will contribute to solving some of the challenges that the aquaculture industry is facing.”

A considerable part of salmon production in the future will be carried out in closed-containment systems on land, or in semi-closed systems in the sea. Experiments carried out by Nofima and its partners show that keeping young salmon longer in closed-containment systems gives better control of production, which is beneficial for the fish and dramatically lowers mortality.

“Based on the research we have already carried out, I believe that there is a basis to recommend continuing to hold the salmon in closed-containment systems with full control of the water quality, not disturbing the fish until they are post-smolts that weigh well over 250g. Fish then are significantly more robust than they are at 80g, which is the size at which they are normally placed into open cages in the sea. More salmon will survive the open-sea phase,” says Fyhn Terjesen.

Industrial partners from the supplier industry are Krüger Kaldnes AS, Pharmaq Analytiq, Pharmaq AS, Oslofjord Ressurspark AS, Storvik Aqua AS and Aquafarm Equipment AS.

Participants from the aquaculture industry are Marine Harvest ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA, Lerøy Vest AS, Cermaq Norway AS, Bremnes Seashore AS, Smøla klekkeri og settefiskanlegg AS, Marine producers Norway AS and Firda sjøfarmer AS.