NRS steadies harvest ship in Q2

Norway Royal Salmon has announced a second quarter harvest of 9,700 tonnes (gutted weight), broadly the same as in Q2 last year.

The figure is made up of 7,900 tonnes in Norway and 1,800 tonnes at Arctic Fish, its Iceland salmon farming operation in which it has a 50% stake..

However, prospects for the current quarter look a little less certain as the company has been hit by one suspected and one confirmed ISA outbreak in recent days, which analysts suggest may impact on the Q3 harvest total.

On the upside, the company is building two large offshore sea cages, the first of which is nearing completion. Built to withstand waves of up to 13 metres, the project is the latest in the growing interest in offshore aquaculture which reportedly is more environmentally friendly and offers greater protection against biological issues such as salmon lice

The NRS group owns 36,085 tonnes maximum authorised biomass (MAB) for salmon farming located in Troms and Finnmark, and 17,800 tonnes MAB for salmon farming and 5, 300 MAB for trout farming on Iceland through Arctic Fish, one of the leading salmon farmers in Iceland. Arctic Fish has permits in three fjords, and two new permit applications mean that the total volume could reach 31,900 tonnes in the next few years.

In addition, the group has a minority interest in two associated Norwegian fish farming companies which together own nine fish farming licenses.

NRS will publish its full Q2 report on 23 August.