Mowi opened a new post-smolt facility at Mowi’s freshwater site in Haukå, Norway. The facility will become one of the world’s most extensive post-smolt facilities. Mowi’s CEO, Ivan Vindheim, opened the facility, officially concluding several years of construction work and NOK 600 million (USD 59 million) in investments.
“This is a large and strategically very important investment for Mowi. With this facility, we will be able to produce healthy and sustainable food in an even better and more efficient way,” said Vindheim.
“This is not just a new large facility. It is a powerful symbol of growth, innovation and belief in the future. With this facility, we are taking an important step forward – for the company, for the employees and for our entire district. This major investment creates new jobs, strengthens local value creation and contributes to a vibrant district,” said director of Mowi Region West, Asgeir Hasund.
With the expansion, Mowi has increased the number of employees at the facility from 11 to 25, including two apprentices. Together, they will produce 6.4 million post-smolts per year with an average weight of 700 grams.
Mowi is investing heavily in post-smolts in Norway and has invested almost NOK 2 billion (USD 196 million) in three facilities along the coast so far, with plans to invest in four other facilities that will increase the number of post-smolts by a further 20 million.
CEO of Mowi Norway, Øyvind Oaland Oakland, said that “post-smolts are a key part of the work to improve survival, welfare and productivity in the company. By keeping the fish on land until they are larger, we get a more robust smolt that needs significantly less time at sea. We have very good experiences with this so far, and our calculations show that we can almost halve both mortality and the number of delousing by using post-smolt”.
Mowi’s CEO also used the opportunity to remind everyone that the industry requires stable and predictable framework conditions to carry out this type of investment along the coast.
“These days, politicians are sitting in the Storting and will consider the government’s proposal for new regulation of the aquaculture industry. This proposal will significantly reduce industry production, employment, and value creation, especially in Western Norway. I both believe and hope that the politicians understand that we as a nation cannot kick our feet under Norway’s most important regional industry and ask the government to develop new and better-studied proposals for future regulations,” said Vindheim.
