Ocean Farming AS, a subsidiary of the SalMar Group, was established to develop an offshore fish farming capability.

Through the development and implementation of new technologies and the buildup of operational experience, Ocean Farming will acquire the specialist expertise needed for this next generation of fish farming facilities to achieve its potential.

For SalMar, sustainable growth in the aquaculture industry depends on its ability to make use of new locations that offer good biological conditions for the farming of fish stocks – typically areas that are less affected by tidal currents and where the direction of currents is more constant.

The project’s objective is to develop technologies that will make it possible to establish aquacultural activities in areas of more open water which have not so far been used. Feasibility studies started in 2012, and over the past three years various technical solutions have been evaluated. This has resulted in the design of a complete offshore fish farming installation. If successful, an initial, full scale pilot facility could help to resolve the aquaculture industry’s currently limited opportunities for further growth.