Cod fry progress in Norway and Shetland

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COD fry are now being produced in commercial quantities by the northern Norwegian company Lofilab. Between 700,000 and 800,000 fry have been successfully reared to 50g according to a report by Fish Information Service (FIS), drawing on quotes from Fiskaren.

Already sold at NOK25 per fry, these fish could represent 300,000 tonnes of farmed cod ready for the market in three years.

This is the first time such a large-scale production of cod fry has been possible, says Arne Kolbeinshavn, managing director of Lofilab. It has not come without difficulties. Last year, half the stock were lost to cannibalism. Having overcome this problem, unseasonably warm water conditions in the current year posed a mortality challenge. Vaccination is the next stress factor to overcome.

Meanwhile, in Shetland, fish farmers keen to diversify into cod are being offered the prospect of purchasing cod "smolts" from summer next year onwards through Shetland's first marine hatchery.

The plan initially is to produce 200,000 smolts a year at the Broonies Taing location, near Sandwick.

(From Aquaculture Info List, e-mail: dave.conley@sympatico.ca)

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