Otrøya, in Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, where Øylaks has sites on the southern and northern sides of the island.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
In a statement to the stock exchange issued late yesterday, SalMar announced that it had agreed to acquire 49% of the shares in the salmon farming company Øylaks MTB AS, of which it already owned 51%, after which the aquaculture giant will own 100% of the company.
As specified in the announcement, the purchase price agreed in the transaction will be settled through the issuance of 209,402 new shares by SalMar ASA at a subscription price of NOK 655.20 per share, amounting to a total of NOK 13,720,019.04.
Following the issuance of the consideration shares, the company's share capital will amount to NOK 33,899,229.25, divided into 135,596,917 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 0.25. The share capital increase will be registered in the Norwegian Commercial Register.
Located in Midsund, a village on the western end of the island of Otrøya, in Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, on the town's website, Øylaks describes itself as "a fish farming company that was established in 1973, where growth and welfare of the salmon have always been the goal."
In the same outline, the company—which holds a license for Atlantic salmon production—reports that today, it is largely operated by SalMar. The Norwegian seafood group acquired 51% and took over the management of Øylaks in September 2022.
Before that, Øylaks had operated as a family business for decades, with a focus on the fish, "ensuring it grows and thrives during the sea phase, before it is harvested and sent to small and large customers around the world."
Owned by the Misund family, according to information from the Norwegian business newspaper Finansavisen, those now selling their remaining shares to SalMar are brothers Ingmar Misund (Imis Holding) and Runar Misund (Rmisund Holding), who have each owned half of the shares in Øylaks.
SalMar—which saw Norwegian authorities revoke its license for its offshore farming site, Arctic Ocean Farming, a month ago—has now, according to Finansavisen, acquired a "highly profitable" business.
Figures published by the Norwegian business newspaper show that in 2024, Øylaks had operating revenues of NOK 76.2 million, with an operating profit of NOK 24.9 million and a pre-tax profit of NOK 25.7 million.
The Norwegian group, meanwhile, closed Q3 2025 with weak financial results despite achieving a "record-high" in harvest volume. This upward trend in volumes was repeated in Q4 when, according to its recent operational update, it recorded an overall year-on-year increase of 14%, although volumes in its Icelandic business fell by 41.5%.
SalMar owns Icelandic Salmon, whose subsidiary Arnarlax is Iceland's leading salmon farming company. The Norwegian group is also the owner of 50% of Scottish Sea Farms, which it jointly owns with fellow Norwegian salmon producer Lerøy Seafood.
The full acquisition of Øylaks follows the merger with northern Norwegian salmon producer Wilsgård, which, after being announced in April, was finalized in August.