'Concrete cage' fish emerge lice-free
The salmon company Nekton Havbruk will this week put out its first post-smolts produced in their closed cage Salmon Home No.1. “There have not been any problems since we put out the fish in the closed cage", says the Norwegian firm's CEO Rune Iversen.
The closed concrete cage is the first of its kind, designed and built in cooperation between the breeder development company Fish Farming Innovation AS and manufacturer Betonmast AS.
After months of testing, Nekton Havbruk put approximately 60,000 fish in a facility at Smøla in mid-November. Iversen says the fish have thrived and grown well since then.
"There have not been any kind of problems since we put out the fish, either technical or biological. Everything has worked as expected.
"We are approaching the finish line in our first round, and the fish should be reallocated to open cages this week. We will move about 55,000 smolts at about 350 grams.The fish came into the concrete cage later than planned, but growth has been as expected, despite the low sea temperatures during the winter," he says.
It was announced just before Christmas that there were no lice in the closed cage, and Iversen says that it is the same now."
"We have no lice in the Salmon Home No.1,” he states with pleasure.
In collaboration with Nofima, Nekton carries out many tests on water quality and circulation.
"It is confirmed by the Norwegian FDA that the water quality is very good. It is very good circulation and we adjust the water rate for fish size, so that they get good exercise,” says Iversen.
After they drain the "concrete cage" for fish, they will wash and prepare for a new intake in the growing facility.
"We will set out fish again in April. We will then put in about 100,000 more smolts than the first time,” he explains.
Nekton's sister company, Saga Fish, delivers the smolts growing in the closed cage.
