Norcod — Management Reports 2023

Feb 10, 2023

Norcod – Operations update

In recent weeks, Norcod has had a close dialogue and good cooperation with the Directorate of Fisheries regarding our locations where we have harvest ready fish.

Gonad development and the beginning of maturation in the final growth phase is an inherent challenge in cod farming and the farmers together with the professional/research environment are working to find solutions to tackle the exposure in the best possible way.

The challenge here is to find better measurement methods to assess the real circumstances around spawning and fertilization in cages and the possible risk of such a situation occurring.

Norcod, in line with other cod farmers, checks ongoing indications of maturation. External fish health personnel have observed the possibility that our fish may go into maturation/spawn during the spring and summer, and therefore we harvest the fish that have progressed the furthest in development. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries considered that there was a need to increase the pace of harvesting, therefore a plan for accelerated harvest has been drawn up.

Initial assessments regarding accelerated harvest at the Frosvika site were based on flawed information. Norcod therefore prepared an updated analysis and put forward a plan which then formed the basis for the Directorate of Fisheries' decision of 3 February. It is planned to harvest two of the locality's eight cages during a 4-week period. Three of the eight cages have already been harvested, so there remain five pens with fish.

The plan represents a shorter timeline in relation to the original harvest plan, but Norcod has adapted its available harvest capacity in an attempt to meet the Directorate of Fisheries' decision. The fish is in good condition and will enter the market with good quality.

For the locations Pålskjæra and Skogsøya, we have also delivered an updated harvesting plan at the request of the Directorate of Fisheries.

Knowledge development

When we are assigned locations, thorough preliminary mapping has been carried out, and distance from spawning grounds have been taken into consideration as well as ensuring favourable direction of the current as to avoid interaction with spawning grounds.

According to Nofima and Havlandet, which have bred cod for over 20 years, cod is considered a difficult marine species to hatch even in controlled conditions. The cod must be stroked to be able to release eggs, and then have access to specially adapted feed under controlled conditions on land. The first spawning is of such low quality in the cod, that Nofima rejects for use in roe and fry production.

Norcod has a strategy to postpone and prevent maturation by means of light control. We see that light has an effect, and it remains to optimize the type of light, intensity, number, location, etc.

In the long run, we are working towards being able to separate the fish by gender. The purpose is to establish pure female and male population to reduce or eliminate the possibility of fertilization should maturation occur. Simultaneously, there are several people working to produce sterile cod, which we hope will be successful as this will be the optimal solution.

Operational control

Norcod uses new and modern equipment, which is of course certified according to requirements. We carry out more frequent net inspections than required by the authorities, both by external companies and our own inspections using ROV. This means that possible mesh breakage are detected early and can be repaired before they develop further into holes. We have had all our nets inspected by an external company, and no holes were found - neither in cages with fish, nor cages where the fish have already been delivered to the harvest facility. There have also been no incidents when delivering fish to well boats. The company also has contingency plans for preventing escapes, with equipment for recapture available at each location, as well as agreements with local fishermen for assistance should such a situation arise.

All our cod are vaccinated before they are released into cages at sea, which provide protection against the most common bacterial diseases (vibriosis, furunculosis, now also winter ulcers). The vaccine seems to work very well, and we have not experienced disease outbreaks at any of our locations. As a result, there has been no need to use antibiotics.

Regarding the suspicion of escape in Meløy, Norcod has received inquiries urging the company to take responsibility for the incident. There is so far no basis for drawing conclusions, and it is important to respect the process the Directorate of Fisheries is running in this context.

It takes time to create a new industry on an industrial scale. For the past five years, we have been engaged in R&D work and gained invaluable experience. Best practice is taking shape, and the industry as a whole has come incredibly far. The conditions are right for this to become a successful and sustainable industry. We have just delivered the first batch of fry from our own hatchery not only to Norcod, but also to three other cod farmers. The fry perform very well on all parameters, and we have never had a better starting point and start of a production cycle.