First salmon in grow-out tanks at new Laxey fish farm

The first batch of salmon has been transferred from Laxey’s large-scale hatchery to grow-out tanks at the fish farms, marking a milestone in the company’s continued farming.

Laxey said: “This is a major step towards sustainable operations. The tanks are 28 metres in diameter and 13 metres high and hold a total of 5,000 cubic metres of seawater, which is pumped from boreholes.”

The first phase of Laxey’s six-step development is now nearing completion, and preparations for the next phase have already begun. Each phase will see the construction and operation of eight such fish farms.

When completed, the company’s annual production capacity will be up to 42,000 tonnes of salmon.

The operation began with the construction of a high-tech fry hatchery in Friðarhöfn, which uses a closed recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) that largely reuses the water. The facility, the first of its kind in Iceland, became fully operational in August last year.

The first batch of fry was transferred last November, and a second batch followed in April. Five batches have already been transferred to the farm: three are being raised in the “fry house” and two have been transferred to the farm. The current batch placed in the tanks has already reached an average weight of 1,200 grams.

The company said construction of the facility has progressed according to plan, alongside biomass cultivation. The first harvest is expected to take place in the fall of 2025, and preparations for the slaughterhouse, which will be located in Viðlagafjörður, have already begun.