Havlandet Norcod, the world's largest cod hatchery, started its first production on August 15. The operation has just culminated with a successful first production of more than 8 million cod fry, which have already been distributed to various hatcheries in Norway.
The cod fry, which will live in the hatcheries until they have grown large enough to be released into the sea, have been sold to four customers in total. Of these, Norcod itself is the largest but they plan to grow. "The capacity of the plant is large enough to deliver to many more customers in the coming years", the company said in a statement.
"At the plant in Florø, the employees have been working day and night to ensure that the plant has worked both biologically and technically. The companies that have built the facility have also been close to the processes to ensure that everything has worked as planned", the statement continued.
The new facilities at Havlandet Norcod – the joint venture between Havlandet Marin Yngel and Norcod – provide the opportunity to produce cod fry several times a year. This capacity is especially important at present time, which is key for the emerging, or re-emerging, cod industry in Norway. The plant will now prepare for the start of the second production, which will begin next week, on February 15, 2023.
The company recalls in the release that the facility also produces live feed for the hatching larvae. Cod, they explain, is "1,200 times smaller than the salmon when it comes out of its egg, so everything must work from the first second to get a good result". After hatching, the cod is moved around the facility as they grow.
To make that journey as comfortable as possible for the fish, the installation has been designed by Florøværinger in consultation with Havlandet employees with 20 years of experience. When it leaves the installation, the cod weighs between 2 and 3 grams. "Under the best conditions", the company explains, "it takes as long for a cod to grow from 2 to 100 grams as it does to go from hatching to two grams".
Cod farming company Norcod and fry producer Havlandet Marin Yngel decided to join forces in 2021 and create the 50/50 joint venture Havlandet Norcod AS to build a new cod fry production facility at Florø in Fjord Base, Vestlandet region. The company holds a concession from the Norwegian government to produce 24 million fry per year.