Vanessa Liu is Nordic Aqua Partners's new Senior PR Executive, and Morten Westby will join Nordic Aqua in October 2024 as the new head of business development and strategic partnerships.
Photo: Nordic Aqua Partners.
Land-based salmon farming company Nordic Aqua Partners, the first commercial-scale RAS Atlantic salmon producer in China, has announced two new commercial hires this month, in addition to good second-quarter production results following its first commercial harvest during April 2024.
Currently, the company, which has established its land-based facility in Gaotang, Ningbo, China, says it is "actively focusing on building market
distribution and brand exposure", and in particular, "the establishment and development of lasting customer relationships in the important premium segments in order to optimize the value achievement of our premium product, Nordic PureAtlantic."
In support of this, Nordic Aqua has made two new strategic hires focused on business development and market presence in China.
The first of these appointments, effective from July 1, is Vanessa Liu, who joins Nordic Aqua as Senior PR Executive. Liu is an experienced PR and branding professional, with particular expertise wtihin the Chinese premium seafood segment.
"Her expertise will be pivotal in enhancing the brand image and marketing efforts for Nordic PureAtlantic, and ensuring the company’s high-quality land-based Atlantic salmon resonate strongly with Chinese consumers," the company said in a press release announcing the new team members.
Joining a little later, on October 1, seafood industry executive Morten Westby will be the new head of business development and strategic partnerships. Morten has extensive experience in the Chinese market, following his previous role as VAP Asia Manager at Lerøy Seafood Group, where "he played a crucial role in expanding their footprint across Asia".
“We are excited to welcome Vanessa and Morten to the Nordic Aqua family,” said Managing Director for China operations, Andreas Thorud.
“Their combined expertise and passion for the seafood industry will drive our market development, branding, and positioning efforts. With their experience and competence, we are confident in our ability to leverage the superior quality and unique story of Nordic PureAtlantic, presenting an unmatched value proposition to our partners and consumers in China," he added.
Nordic Aqua launched its 'Nordic PureAtlantic' brand on April 29 at a ceremony in Shipu City, Xianshang County, Ningbo, attended by, among others, the head of the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai.
Nordic Aqua Partners has also released its production results for the second quarter of 2024, reporting a total harvest volume in of 523 tonnes HOG, in line with its harvest guidance for the quarter issued in May.
Nordic Aqua's first commercial harvest began in mid-April, with 43 tonnes harvested, followed by 134 tonnes in May and 345 tonnes in June, the company said.
The average weight achieved was 4.54kg HOG, and 99% of the fish harvested were classified as "superior quality salmon".
"We are pleased about the highly sustainable biology, the low mortality and the large share of superior quality. The production in the quarter was good, however somewhat affected by starving and handling related to harvesting,", said CEO Ragnar Joensen, in a stock exchange press release.
Based on volumes in the second quarter as well as current harvest data and its harvest plan, the company expects to harvest 2.800-3.000 MT HOG in 2024. This corresponds to a volume of 2.300 - 2.500 MT in the second half of 2024, which Nordic Aqua notes is "somewhat higher than the annual normalised capacity of 4.000 MT for Stage 1".