Land-based salmon farming company Fredrikstad Seafoods' plan to consider producing yellowtail, or kingfish, instead of farmed salmon is eliciting a mixed reaction from market observers.

Fredrikstad Seafoods is currently Norway's only land-based salmon farmer producing commercial-ready, market-sized fish. The NOK 400 million ($45 million/€40 million) facility was completed in 2019 and harvested its first salmon in late 2020, though it remains unprofitable.

Bernt Olav Rottingsnes, CEO of Fredrikstad Seafoods parent Nordic Aquafarms, told IntraFish that while the company expects the financial situation to change once it reaches more scale, the company sees "greater earnings potential for yellowtail kingfish."