Amar Seafood gets licence to farm halibut in Norway

Frøya is better known as a key salmon farming area and has given birth to a number of key businesses over the years.

Amar said the move marks an exciting milestone for the business as it expands its production with a new location.

The site on Krutøya is a historic aquaculture location, currently serving as an R&D facility for Amar and now being repurposed for halibut farming.

‍Anders Sæther, at Amar Seafood, said: “It’s exciting to see a new species being introduced to Frøya, a municipality known for its aquaculture expertise.

“We have brought together a unique team with over 100 years of combined experience in farming salmon and other marine species.

“Together with a good location with right current, temperature and ideal protection, this provides the perfect foundation for halibut farming in Norway.”

‍With three licences totalling 2,340 tonnes, Amar Seafood will gradually scale up production, while also using the location as an R&D site to test and improve equipment and operational solutions.

Sæther added: “Thank you to Trøndelag County Municipality for supporting our efforts to further develop Norway’s aquaculture industry.”

Three months ago Amar Seafood announced the strategic acquisition of Otter Ferry Seafish Ltd., a pioneering Scottish marine hatchery with a rich history of innovation in aquaculture over many years.

Otter Ferry has been instrumental in developing trout farming, land-based salmon farming, and the production of salmon broodstock and smolt. As Scotland’s sole commercial marine hatchery, it has played a leading role in establishing the production of halibut, wrasse, and lumpfish, and currently maintains a broodstock of halibut. Otter Ferry also offers an R&D facility for Scotland’s salmon industry.

Amar Seafood is a fully integrated aquaculture company, operating five facilities in Newfoundland and Prince Edwards Island, Canada, and in Scotland and Norway with fully licensed land-based and sea-based aquaculture operations. It currently farms Atlantic halibut and wolffish in Canada.