Posts by Robert Outram
Buyer found for Skaginn assets
An agreement has been reached for the purchase of the assets of the Icelandic seafood processing equipment company Skaginn 3X, which filed for bankruptcy in the summer.
A group of investors with the firm KAPP, another Icelandic technology company, will buy all the equipment and liquid assets of the Skaginn estate in Akranes.
Skaginn 3X, was a well-known name in the world of seafood processing equipment, but it filed for bankruptcy four months ago after Baader, its German parent company, failed to turn the business around.
Read MoreNordic Halibut sees sales prices continuing to rise
Nordic Halibut has reported third quarter sales prices for its premium farmed fish up 11% year-on-year, continuing the rise seen earlier this year. In its Q3 (July to September) operational update the company said the increase was consistent across size categories compared to the same quarter last year and demonstrates the strong demand for halibut…
Read MoreGrimsby is home to new UK Seafood School
A new seafood training centre for the UK has been opened in Grimsby, home to the UK’s largest fish processing hub.
The UK Seafood School is being hailed as a “fantastic opportunity” for young people who want to enter the industry.
Salmon prices rise again at last
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%.
Read MoreIceland 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.
Read MoreRed 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.
Read MoreMowi 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.
Read MoreIceland calls snap general election
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.
Read MoreCod 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.
Read MoreNovo Holdings buys into lice laser company
Life sciences company Novo Holdings is to take a majority stake in aquaculture technology company Stingray Marine Solutions.
Based in Oslo, Stingray specialises in intelligent aquaculture technology serving the salmon industry and has developed a laser-based system to kill sea lice.
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