Salmon prices rise again at last

Salmon fillets on ice

The long slide in fresh salmon prices may be over as they increased significantly last week for the first time in more than two months.

Just two weeks ago they dropped to below NOK 70 a kilo (£4.92), a figure last seen two years ago.

But last week (week 41) the slump came to a halt and the price jumped up by NOK 3.06 per kilo to NOK 72.76 per kilo (£5.12), according to Statistics Norway which monitors trends on a weekly basis. This move represents an increase of 4.4%.

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Iceland fish farmer signs major finance deal

Laxey, one of Iceland’s younger salmon farming companies has signed a financing agreement with Arion Bank for an undisclosed sum to support its plan to operate a facility on land in Vestmannaeyjar, the country’s western isles.

It says the agreement is an important part of Laxey’s long-term operations and supports the company’s continued development.

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Red tape stalling growth, say NZ aquaculture leaders

Senior figures in New Zealand’s aquaculture industry are warning that red tape and lack of access to key areas of the coastline are seriously hindering growth.

Concerns over bureaucracy and other issues were expressed at the recent Aquaculture New Zealand conference in Nelson, at which the view was expressed that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get access to the sea.

NZ King Salmon Chief Executive Carl Carrington said that while opportunities to expand the aquaculture sector were huge, only 0.01% of the country’s large marine economic estate was currently being farmed.

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Double ASC certification for shellfish brands

Opened oysters

Morecambe Bay Oysters and Loch Fyne Oysters, two key brands in the Associated Seafoods group, have been recognised for their good practices by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

To achieve certification as a responsible seafood producer under the ASC standards, Morecambe Bay was required to meet stringent requirements regarding its environmental and social impact.

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Mowi reports record harvest for Q3

Salmon giant Mowi produced an all-time high third quarter harvest of 161,000 tonnes with profitability in Scotland continuing to improve. The figure is 26,000 tonnes higher than a year ago. The main and most significant improvement was at Mowi’s Norwegian farms with the Scottish harvest between July and September unchanged at 15,000 tonnes.

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DNA modelling promises a breakthrough for seabed sampling

starfish on rocks on the seabed

Seabed sampling to assess the impact of fish farms could be speeded up significantly through the use of environmental DNA technology, a research project has concluded.

The “MeioMetBar” study took the form of a six-year collaboration between regulators, researchers and fish farmers in Scotland and Germany.

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Iceland calls snap general election

Beautiful reflection of the parliament house Althing of Reykjavik in lake Tjornin

The Icelandic Government has collapsed and a snap general election has been set for 30 November. The result could make a difference for Iceland’s growing aquaculture sector, with rival parties taking very different stances on its future.

Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson surprised everyone at the weekend when he announced the end of the current coalition between his Independence Party and the Progressive and Left Green parties. He plans to stand again for government. 

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Cod farming industry welcomes first wellboat

Norway’s rapidly growing cod farming industry has received its first dedicated wellboat in what has been seen as an historic event.

Watched by several hundred people, leading cod farming company Ode “christened” the Ronja Ode at its Skansekaia headquarters in the centre of Ålesund at the weekend.

The event marked the beginning of a unique collaboration between the two local companies, Ode and the wellboat company Sølvtrans. Ronja Ode is the world’s first dedicated wellboat for transporting farmed cod and represents a significant step forward in the development of the cod farming industry.

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Barramundi Group seeks six-month breathing space

Singapore-based Barramundi Group has applied for a form of insolvency protection while the company attempts to carry out financial reconstruction.

On 11 October the fish farming group made an application to the High Court of the Republic of Singapore for a “Moratorium Order” which would give it a period of six months’ protection against a winding-up order or the appointment of external administrators.

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