On Andøya in Nordland, it is only a few weeks until the first salmon is sent out onto the world market. – A fantastically fine specimen, says Martin Rasmussen, managing director of Andfjord Salmon, showing a ten-month-old salmon. Last week was the official opening of Andfjord Salmon, which is Norway’s largest land-based breeding basin. – It is a concept on land with sea-based advantages, says Rasmussen. Martin Rasmussen believes they have the most environmentally friendly breeding facility of its kind. Photo: Lars Bjørn Martinsen / news The pool in which the fish swam is located below sea level, and seawater is taken from Andfjorden. – It is a good way to produce food in terms of animal welfare, the environmental consequences, but also the societal ones here on Andøya. Rasmussen believes they have the most environmentally friendly breeding facility of its kind. – Because we biologically facilitate good fish health and that we have full control over the environmental impacts. Zero salmon lice and escapes According to the boss, this is a cost-effective way of farming salmon, which results in no salmon lice, escapes and low mortality. And the aim is to produce cheaper fish than the plant out at sea. – That is the starting point. Low energy, good biology and low costs. They also use relatively little feed, less than one kilogram for every kilogram of salmon. – There is a hierarchy in the pool. If everyone gets food, there will be less fighting over food. It is a social democratic way of running salmon farming. The pool in which the fish swam is located below sea level. Photo: Maverix Media – Brutal interventions Andfjord Salmon therefore has plans to develop the operation, and has now started building two new pools. And the plan is to have 50 pools within the next ten years. Then they will be able to be the fourth largest salmon producer in Norway. – We are rigged so that we can have good growth. Then it won’t take many more pools before we have good profitability. Last week was the official opening of Andfjord Salmon, which is Norway’s largest land-based breeding basin. Photo: Andfjord Salmon But not everyone thinks such land-based farming is as wonderful as it sounds. – They blow up space for such facilities in the beach zone with brutal interventions. It is dramatic and one of the reasons why we say no to today’s land-based farming operations, says Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Nature Conservation Association to Helgemorgen. He believes that the regulations are too bad, and that far too many municipalities allow themselves to be driven over by enthusiastic farming plans, without taking into account the overall burden in this vulnerable zone. – Also on Andøya, there is an extensive area that used to be nature. We cannot go on like this when we are in a natural crisis. – There is an extremely strong financial incentive for such land-based breeding facilities, because they avoid paying the license fee. There is a very strong incentive to destroy the beach zone, says leader of the Nature Conservation Association Truls Gulowsen. Photo: Marte Iren Noreng Trøen / news – Concept out of control – We are afraid that the farming industry will be pulled in a direction that fits with the paragraphs, but not the environmental requirements. Then we think it is better to move it to closed cages in the sea, rather than destroying beach zones. In December last year, there was an interim stop in applying for a license for farming facilities on land for salmon, aure and rainbow aure. According to the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, the suspension will apply until new regulations are in place. The shutdown is set to last until June this year. The Nature Conservancy is happy about that. – Because this is a concept out of control, even if individual plants can be good, says Gulowsen. On Gulowsen’s criticism, Rasmussen says that it is important to put things in perspective. – We make use of 0.5 percent of the beach zone. There we can produce 90,000 tonnes of salmon. It is an extremely efficient use of land and an energy-efficient way of producing food, says the manager of Andfjord Salmon. Managing director of Andfjord Salmon, Martin Rasmussen. Photo: Andfjord Salmon He says they have had thorough processes together with the inhabitants of Andøya and that it is important to create jobs in Northern Norway. – Strandzona is perhaps a bigger problem in southern Norway than in northern Norway. – Good with innovation Large-scale interventions in nature and energy use mean that even Storting representative Lars Haltbrekken (SV) is skeptical about farming facilities on land. – The solution to escapes and the spread of infection is primarily something other than facilities on land, he has told Brønnøysund’s Avis. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran says the farming industry must create livelihoods, value creation, safe workplaces and export and import income for the community. Photo: Daniel Hong Hansen / news On the other hand, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap) welcomes such farms. – It is good that we have innovation, and I have visited the facility on Andøya. It is an exciting facility and good people, he says to Helgemorgen. Norway produces around 1.5 million tonnes of farmed salmon, and according to Skjæran, it is unthinkable that all of it should be produced on land. – Farming in our coastal zone will come, even if we work hard to facilitate aquaculture at sea. What happens in our beach zone will also be a source of concern for many years to come. But a new framework must be put in place. – I welcome this innovation, but the technological development has challenged the existing framework for land-based farming. It is about us having to make a clear distinction between what is sea-based and what is land-based.
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Andfjord Salmon claim they have the world’s most environmentally friendly farming facility – news Nordland
