Delousing and temperature changes reduced quality for Grieg
Mechanical treatments and cold resulted in higher costs and a superior share of just 60% in Q1
Published
Modified
Grieg Seafood harvested approximately 8,200 tonnes gutted weight in the first quarter of 2026, it said in a market update today. At the same time, the company points to a demanding period with both biological and operational challenges that have affected the results.
Grieg, which sold its operations in Canada and Finnmark, northern Norway, to Cermaq last year, now farms exclusively in Rogaland, central Norway. After a warm second half of 2025, the farmer experienced increased lice pressure and lower survival in the sea phase. To address the situation, Grieg initiated mechanical delousing. However, this occurred before an unexpected period of prolonged low sea temperatures in the first quarter of 2026.
According to the company, the combination of high temperature, mechanical treatment, and subsequent cold period negatively affected fish quality. The superior share of harvested fish fell to 60%.
Completed treatment
The company states that this has resulted in lower price realisation, while at the same time, harvesting volumes increased and production costs rose. The total estimated EBIT effect for 2026 is estimated at between NOK 50 and 75 million.
"This outcome is not satisfactory," the company writes in the update.
Most of the economic impact is expected to be felt in Q1, with only limited consequences for the rest of the year.
To avoid similar situations in the future, Grieg Seafood has terminated the current mechanical treatment. At the same time, it is emphasised that the majority of the fish that are in the sea and will be harvested in 2026 have not undergone this treatment.
The company further points out that the incident is not representative of historical operations in Rogaland, and is largely considered a one-off event. The average number of treatments per post-smolt group is still below one, even when the increased treatment activity is taken into account.
An extended update from the company for the first quarter of 2026 is expected to be published around May 21.
