Nordic Aqua Partners completes first commercial China harvest
Nordic Aqua Partners has announced the successful completion of its first commercial harvest of Atlantic salmon produced at its facility in Gaotang, eastern China.
The company described the achievement as a major operational milestone for Nordic Aqua which would now be introducing the Nordic PureAtlantic brand to the growing Chinese market.
Chief executive officer Ragnar Joensen said: “Our first harvest confirms the high-quality of our farmed Atlantic Salmon, achieving an average weight of approximately 5.7 kilograms LW, with mortality rates of below two per cent, no signs of maturation issues and a superior rate of 99%.
“These excellent biological results underscore Nordic Aqua’s capability to maintaining superior fish health and welfare standards, which translates into premium product quality for the highly attractive Chinese consumer market.”
The company said harvest during the first three weeks will amount to 10, 20 and 30 tons respectively, before gradually increasing and stabilising in the 70-80 ton per week range.
Stage 1 is the first step in an overall plan towards 20,000 tons. Construction for an additional 4,000-ton Stage 2 capacity was initiated in the third quarter 2023, and the preparations for the Stage 3 expansion to 20,000 tons are well underway.
The expansion plan is supported by a strong demand for high-quality, sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon in the Chinese market.
Andreas Thorud, Nordic Aqua’s managing director (pictured) said: “Nordic Aqua’s strategic positioning within the local market significantly reduces logistics costs and enhances freshness, providing a strong competitive edge.”
“The market dynamics are favourable, with the Chinese salmon market showing robust growth and high-price resilience. “
He added: “As the first land-based operation of its scale in China, Nordic Aqua Partners enjoy the first-mover advantage in a market with over 100 million potential consumers reachable within a five hour distribution radius.”
