Gigante Salmon turns up the volume with second smolt stocking
The Norwegian land-based farmer now has two of its three production pools in operation and will stock 2.2 million fish this autumn
Gigante Salmon has begun a major smolt stocking at its land-based fish farm in Rødøy municipality, Norway. Last week, the company received the first of several smolt deliveries from Grytåga Settefisk. Approximately 2.2 million smolts are expected to be stocked during the autumn.
"We are very pleased to be able to put a larger part of the facility into use, and we see that the smolts are of high quality," Gigante Salmon chief executive Kjell Lorentsen said in a press release.
The company completed its first stocking in January 2024. The development of the facility is nearing completion, with two of three production pools already in operation.
Full production by 2028
The company reports that it is now on track to reach full capacity of 16,000 tonnes of head on gutted salmon annually from 2028. It has a permit for 13,731 tonnes of standing biomass.
"It is gratifying to see that the business is now generating more economic ripple effects in our region," said Lorentsen.
Gigante Salmon completed the delivery of all fish from its first stocking and trial production in May this year. The result was a harvested volume of 694 tonnes HOG.
The harvested fish had an average weight of 3.8 kg (whole fish), with 91% classified as superior quality.
The production cost was NOK 70 per kg gutted fish (HOG).
"The results we are seeing now provide a solid foundation for further operations and development into 2026. With a good fish farming facility and skilled employees, everything is in place for good production," said Lorentsen.
