Ocean Farm 1 is a giant floating laboratory as well as a salmon farm. Photo: kyst.no

Ready, steady, grow: first fish for Ocean Farm 1

Salmar chief executive Trond Williksen has confirmed that the first fish are now in place in the world's first offshore salmon farm, Ocean Farm 1.

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"It is true that the first fish are now in the cage. Operationally this went well and the way we had imagined it," Williksen told kyst.no, without elaborating further.

Trond Williksen, second from left, before leaving for Ocean Farm 1 on Tuesday. Photo: Kyst.no

The chief executive visited the offshore farm on Tuesday.

"We were in the cage and got a first impression on board, after it had been set up and was about to enter the operational pilot phase," he said.

Salmar's focus now will be the optimum operation of the new technology, together with biology.

"We will gain experience and operational knowledge with a new technological concept out in the ocean," added Williksen.

Ocean Farm 1 was in place at the site in Frohavet on September 5. Since then Salmar has been preparing for the fish, and there has been great interest around the cage.

It is the first of Norway's many development concepts - the only way to get a bigger salmon quota - to get beyond the drawing board stage.