Earlier this month Charles Hostlund announced his retirement as CEO of Norway Royal Salmon (NRS) as the company embarked on a strategic dialogue with NTS about a possible merger of the fish farming companies NRS and Salmonor.

He told IntraFish it was a natural time for him to leave.

"It has been seven exciting years at NRS, where working days have been hectic. Now that the company is starting a strategic dialogue with NTS ... it seemed like a natural time to withdraw," Hostlund wrote in an e-mail.