Archive for February 2023
Benchmark Genetics Iceland names new boss
Benchmark Genetics Iceland has named Vaki Aquaculture Systems’ Benedikt Hálfdanarson as its next General Manager. He takes up his new post on 1 March, replacing Jonas Jonasson who is stepping down as CEO. Jonasson will continue as the global Production Director for salmon in Benchmark Genetics, a role in which he has served since 2019.…
Read MoreSalmon Scotland renews call for action on housing
House prices in some remote parts of Scotland have surged at almost double the rate of the national average, and industry body Salmon Scotland has renewed its call for funds to be directed to rural areas to help fix the problem. Registers of Scotland data shows that while house prices across Scotland rose by 89%…
Read MoreFire badly damages Mowi’s new smolt plant in Iceland
Fire has badly damaged an Arctic Fish smolt facility still under construction at Tálknafjördur in the Westfjords region of Iceland yesterday. Company officials are today trying to assess the extent of the impact, which it is thought will be quite extensive. The fire broke out shortly after 9am yesterday, sending clouds of black smoke high…
Read MoreSalMar selling NRS sales arm to Dutch firm Visscher
SalMar has reached an agreement to sell the Norway Royal Salmon sales operation to the Dutch salmon and whitefish company Visscher Seafood. A spokesperson for Visscher said it would not be possible to comment in detail until the closing date, 1 March. The Norwegian salmon giant took over Norway Royal Salmon (NRS) as part of…
Read MoreScottish Sea farms and SRUC collaborate to boost skills
Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have been awarded almost £39k to develop new seafood skills training courses in partnership with salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms. The project will develop and pilot three types of courses with seafood technicians, veterinary professionals and SRUC students. Technician training piloted with Scottish Sea Farms and continuing professional development…
Read MoreNordic Halibut still not in profit but growth plan is on track
Nordic Halibut saw its losses mount during the final quarter of last year, but the company said its investment programme is on track and prices achieved so far have been good. The Q4 operating loss increased from NOK 5.1 million (£420,000) in Q4 2021 to NOK 13.3m (around £1.1m) this time. Operating income during the…
Read MoreSalmon prices shoot past NOK 100 per kilo
Fresh salmon prices in Norway soared to well over NOK 100 a kilo, a figure not seen since May last year. According to Statistics Norway, which monitors trends on a regular basis, they rose by more than 10.6% or NOK 9.92 to NOK 103.22 a kilo (£8.30) during week seven. It is the steepest percentage…
Read MoreBlue foods ‘can help tackle global challenges’
So-called “blue” foods should be a key part of the strategies for dealing with global health and climate change issues, an international group of scientists is arguing. A paper published today, “Four ways blue foods can help achieve food system ambitions across nations” (published in Nature), says that blue (aquatic) foods have the potential to…
Read MoreNamibia’s Benguela Blue set to farm salmon offshore
A fish farming start-up has obtained permits to raise up to 35,000 tons of salmon off the coast of Namibia at a high-energy site. Benguela Blue Aqua Farming has partnered with aquaculture technology business Innovasea, which will be supplying its submersible SeaStation pens for the project and also provided consultancy services to help secure the…
Read MoreStudy shows krill can supply key element in salmon feed
Farmed Atlantic salmon can meet their needs for choline, an important nutrient for growth and intestinal health, when fed on a diet containing Antarctic krill, a study has found. Researchers at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and krill producer Aker BioMarine, found that krill meal and krill oil…
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