Norwegian land-based salmon farmer Andfjord Salmon has announced the completion of a successful smolt release at its aquaculture facility at Kvalnes, Andøy on September 30.
According to the company, the release initiates a significant scale-up of fish farming operations at the site.
Approximately 350,000 smolt, with an average weight of around 180 grams, were released into one of the facility's pools. The company stated that the release went as planned and that the fish have quickly adapted to their new surroundings, with good biological conditions in the pool.
A further release of approximately 750,000 smolt is planned for a second pool in late October this year.
Martin Rasmussen, CEO of Andfjord Salmon, said, “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Andfjord Salmon, with fish farming operations once again taking centre stage. The current and upcoming smolt releases represent the launch of a significant scale-up of salmon farming activities at Kvalnes.”
Since its previous production cycle ended in June 2023, the company said it has been developing new pools, a harbour area, and waterways to handle large-scale production. The site's infrastructure is designed to support a future production capacity of approximately 48,100 tonnes.