The ‘Smart Fish Farm’ will be capable of operating in areas subject to extremely rough weather conditions, around 20–30 nautical miles off the coast

Salmar strengthen sea-based farming and change leaders

NORWAY
Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 16:00 (GMT + 9)

Gustav Witzøe assumed the position of SalMar ASA CEO on October 21, 2019. Today's CEO Olav-Andreas Ervik will be the new CEO of the newly formed subsidiary SalMar Ocean AS, with the main responsibility for the company's investment in sea-based fish farming.

So far, SalMar's focus on offshore farming has been a business area for which Gustav Witzøe has been responsible. This business is now merged into a separate subsidiary Ervik has wanted to lead.

Photo: SalMar

Both Witzøe and Ervik point out that the change ensures continuity of management, and that it is a natural consequence of SalMar's ambition to lead the development of offshore farming.

The Board believes this provides a good basis for continued positive development for SalMar in the future.

- With the establishment of SalMar Ocean, SalMar is taking a new step towards strengthening its position as a leader in the development of marine-based fish farming, says Gustav Witzøe in a comment.

The group has just launched a new release of fish in its seabed Ocean Farm 1. At the same time, the subsidiary MariCulture AS is working fully on the final design and design of a larger and more advanced sea cage, Smart Fish Farm, to be established in the high seas. Both of these businesses now become part of SalMar Ocean AS.

- These are technologically groundbreaking projects that are part of the company's maritime strategy. Our ambition is to lead the development of environmentally sustainable seafood production in exposed sea areas, Witzøe continues.

- We are convinced that sea-based farming will play an important role in future food production. On the high seas we have unique opportunities to farm on nature's premises and with minimal environmental impact. I really look forward to taking this initiative further, ”adds Ervik.

There will be close cooperation and interaction between the sea-based and traditional fish farming operations, so that mutual transfer of knowledge and experience benefits both parts of the business. Witzøe emphasizes that SalMar still wants to be a leader in both technological development and biological production in order to contribute to an environmentally sustainable development of the Norwegian aquaculture industry.

Witzøe points out that in recent years, SalMar has invested more than NOK 8 billion in sustainable growth, mainly in equipment and industrial plants to further develop the company's production capacity and industrial platform.

Photo: SalMar

- The company will continue to be an important part of an industrial seafood cluster where Norway is a world leader in research-based knowledge production and innovation. SalMar is committed to working closely with leading knowledge institutions such as NTNU, Sintef and the University of Tromsø, among others. by establishing a gift professorship to strengthen research in areas relevant to the development of Norwegian aquaculture, says Witzøe.

SalMar has a large proportion of processing in its production and still wants to be considered the "processing company". Processing provides three to four times as much employment and value creation as export of round salmon. It also offers the opportunity to also refine the residual raw material into valuable products such as animal feed and human health products. The greenhouse gases also become significantly lower during processing.

InnovaNor processing plant (Photo: SalMar)

SalMar has previously established the world's largest and most advanced salmon processing plant in Frøya (InnovaMar) and has now started construction of a similar processing plant at Finnsnes in the new Senja municipality (InnovaNor).

- In the years to come, the company will invest large sums in production facilities in several locations along the coast, including significant growth in RAS-based setfish production. In total, SalMar will invest several billion NOK in production and industrial facilities in the next few years, says Witzøe.

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