Aerial view of Mowi's Sighaug land-based facility in Vanylven, which is to be acquired by Ode.
Photo: Asteco / Mowi / Ode.
Norwegian cod farming company Ode announced today that it will take over a Mowi land-based facility located in Sighaug, in the municipality of Vanylven, in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Previously dedicated to cleaner fish production, Ode will convert it to juvenile and broodstock cod production.
The agreement reached between the two companies guarantees the continuity of operations at this land-based facility on Norway's west coast. Mowi will run the site through the summer with its current stock of cleaner fish, after which Ode will take over operations along with its staff to begin the conversion to its new functions.
Commenting on the agreement, Asgeir Hasund, Regional Director at Mowi Norway, thanked the employees for their efforts over many years, and particularly through the recent transition, and expressed his satisfaction with the continuity of the Sighaug facility.
"We're pleased to have found a good solution for the facility and its employees. This secures continued operations at the site," Hasund said. "Ode is a solid player in cod farming and will develop the facility further in a sustainable way," he added.
Also commenting on the agreement announced today, Ode CEO Ola Kvalheim expressed his conviction that the site will play an important role in the company's cod farming value chain.
"Ode has a strong need for additional land-based capacity, and this facility fits perfectly into our portfolio — with skilled and experienced staff, proximity to several of our existing locations, and clear potential for further development," he said.
"The facility and several of its employees have previously produced juvenile cod with very strong results, and we're confident we can build on what Mowi has developed in recent years. The site can easily be converted back to cod and is well suited for both juvenile and broodstock production," he continued.
The CEO of Ode also said that, together with Mowi, the cod farming company will begin the process of applying for a change of species to cod immediately. "We hope for a swift process with the relevant authorities, so that we can resume operations without interruption," Kvalheim concluded.
Regarding the need for additional land-based capacity mentioned by Ola Kvalheim, it is worth remembering that the takeover of Mowi's facility in Vanylven marks Ode's second land-based facility acquisition so far this year—the third overall, since, in January, it had announced the acquisition of three more cod farming sites in Vestland from the whitefish group Vesterålen Havbruk.
In early March, it announced the acquisition of the seafood company Lumarine, which at the time operated Norway's largest juvenile cod production plant in Tjeldbergodden, as well as another plant in Tømmervåg, dedicated to lumpfish production, both located in Aure municipality.
As he has done now with the Mowi facility, at that time Ola Kvalheim also highlighted the company's highly skilled employees, with extensive experience in cod juvenile production and who, in that case, also knew Ode and its way of working.
Another point of convergence between the two acquisitions is their location in Møre og Romsdal. Both Mowi's cleaner fish facility and Lumarine's facilities are located in this county, the same one where Ode's headquarters and, as its CEO highlighted today, several of its current locations are located. The potential for further development, which Kvalheim also alluded to, is imperative for a company that was Norway's largest supplier of cod in 2025.
