Norwegian land-based aquaculture company Andfjord Salmon Group has reported strong biological performance, including high survival rates and biomass growth, at its facility in Kvalnes, Andøya. The operational update was released ahead of the company's scheduled Q3 presentation.
On September 30, approximately 350,000 smolt with an average weight of 180 grams were released into pool K0. As of November 24, the survival rate in this pool stood at 99.89 per cent, with only 397 mortalities recorded over eight weeks.
The average weight of the fish has increased to 508 grams, representing a growth of 182 per cent since release, with a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 0.85.
Subsequently, between November 10 and 12, approximately 750,000 smolt with an average weight of 160 grams were released into pool K1. The survival rate in this pool is currently 99.91 per cent. The average weight has risen to 174 grams, corresponding to a growth of 8.75 per cent since release.
Martin Rasmussen, CEO of Andfjord Salmon, stated, "We have completed two successful smolt releases. This has been followed by smooth acclimatization to the new flow-through seawater environment, which has led to feed intake from day one in the pool. The results are survival rates that are higher than forecasted and growth above expectations."
The aggregate survival rate for both pools is 99.90 per cent, with a total standing biomass of 306 tonnes of live salmon. Zero escapes have been recorded.
Regarding infrastructure, the company noted that the construction of the next pool, K3, is nearing completion, and site infrastructure supporting future production of approximately 48,000 tonnes is already in place.
