Success for sole traders
The CEO of Stolt Sea Farm, Pablo Garcia, told Norsk Fiskeoppdrett/kyst.no that everything is going according to plan in Iceland.
"Low energy costs and an automated production line are the main advantages," says Garcia.
However, he adds that it took almost two years to find the ideal production site, which is where they now harvesting their first Solea senegalensis, a close relative to Dover sole (Solea vulgaris).
"The use of thermal water is not unproblematic in aquaculture. Water quality is crucial for product quality, but we have found a very good source," says Pablo Garcia.
The first batch of fish were put into the facility in 2013, and slaughtered last year, with an average size of 400-500 grams. This year the plan is to slaughter around 600 tonnes. Pablo Garcia doesnt want to unveil too many technical details from the plant itself, but reveals that there is a flow-through system with emphasis on automated production. And it is precisely the degree of automation and access to plenty of warm water that makes it possible to produce large quantities of this fish in Iceland.
"The downside is the site's long distance to US, which is our main market," says Garcia.
Stolt Sea Farm was, until 2005, one of the largest salmon producers in Norway, and the world, and by far the largest producer of farmed halibut. After their merger with Marine Harvest, Stolt Sea Farm kept Tinfos Aqua in Norway, and retained significant turbot production in Spain and caviar production from sturgeon in the US. In Spain, the turbot plant is one of the world's largest with an annual capacity of 5,400 tonnes. The company currently has 15 production facilities in six countries.
