Norwegian salmon farmer Eide Fjordbruk has signed a contract with Ecomerden to supply it with semi-closed cages for smolt production.

The structure has a capacity of one million kilos of smolt and must be operated in combination with open cages.

Sondre Eide, general manager of Eide Fjordbruk, said he is happy to buy closed cages from companies that have advanced the furthest with this technology.

"It is crazy that the licensing system encourages food producers of salmon to make medium-sized fish on land in Norway when it is more energy-intensive, leads to lasting encroachments on nature and is overall significantly less sustainable," he said.

With semi-closed containment technology, you can achieve all the benefits, as well as limit the challenges of land-based farming, he said.

Picture of the Ecomerden under construction. Photo: Joar Grindheim

Eide believes the licensing system should be equal between land and sea.

"With innovation such as post-smolt/medium-sized fish produced in closed cages, our goal in Eide is to continue meeting the strict lice limits that the traffic light system sets, as well as shorten the production cycle in open cages further to avoid de-licing in the long run," he said.

Eide added that these challenges must be solved with neutral technology with a focus on innovation and sustainability.

"Then it is important to support players like Ecomerden so they are allowed to develop, and that Norway is allowed to develop its natural advantages that pure protected fjords have."