Great Northern Salmon switches RAS supplier as it seeks 'the right fit'
Great Northern Salmon (GNS), which is planning a 7,500-tonne land-based fish farm in the northeastern US state of Maine, has changed the supplier of its recirculation aquaculture system (RAS), it has announced. It is the second time is has switched to a new vendor.
“GNS management has collaborated with several RAS vendors during its due diligence and development processes. We believe finding the right fit is crucial for our success,” the company said in a press release.
“This month, we changed RAS vendors to someone we are confident is the best match for GNS.”
'Cultural fit'
Chief executive Marianne Naess said: “When choosing an RAS vendor, our priorities include financial stability, strong reference cases, alignment between production goals and technology, and a good cultural fit.”
The company said more details on the new supplier will be shared later.
In May 2024, Katahdin Salmon, as GNS was then known, named Norwegian recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) specialist Nofitech as its supplier.
But in April this year, GNS said it had entered a strategic partnership with Norwegian company Eyvi, making it the RAS supplier for Millinocket and future GNS projects.
New directors
The announcement that GNS had changed its RAS supplier was included in a press release about the apoointment of two new directors, Bjarne Tellman and David Kelly.
Tellman has broad international legal and commercial expertise, and Kelly is an advisor to the Cuna del Mar impact investment fund backed by WalMart billionaire Christy Walton. Before that, he was chief executive and chief technology officer of Cuna del Mar-owned marine and land-based aquaculture technology supplier Innovasea for nine years.
“We are very happy to see that Bjarne Tellmann and David Kelly have chosen to offer their time and unique experience to Great Northern," said chairman Erik Heim.
“We know both well and are excited to see them join an important journey in US seafood.”
Tellmann is chief executive of FjordStream Advisors GmbH and a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. A former FTSE-20 and FTSE-100 general counsel with a global career at Haleon, GSK, Pearson, and Coca-Cola, he offers extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, as well as leadership on some of the largest corporate transactions in recent European history.
He has served on multiple boards worldwide, including global salmon farmer Mowi ASA, and is a published author on leadership and artificial intelligence. He holds dual US and Norwegian citizenship.
“Great Northern combines strong capabilities in both the US and Norway, which resonates with me personally because of my connections to both countries. Having previously served on the Mowi board, I’m excited to return to the seafood industry, especially with a company so well-positioned in the US market,” said Tellman.
It is time we see some impactful progress in US aquaculture. I believe that Great Northern is in a good position.
Kelly said: “I have followed the US segment as CEO at Innovasea for many years – it is time we see some impactful progress in US aquaculture. I believe that Great Northern is in a good position and I look forward to contributing to its development.”
Existing board members Naess, Heim, and William Ginn were re-elected. Naess and Heim founded GNS and both previously worked with landbased fish farmer Nordic Aquafarms, which was blocked from building a salmon farm in Belfast, Maine, but plans to farm yellowtail kingfish in California.
Green investing
Ginn was chief conservation officer at the Nature Conservancy for a number of years, and also founded NatureVest, the Nature Conservancy’s US $3 billion investment partnership with private capital. He has authored two books on green investing and has been involved in a variety of board work over the years.
Great Northern Salmon’s site is on the bed of a drained lagoon that was used by a former paper mill at Millinocket in northern Maine. The mill site is now part of the One North industrial park. GNS said it has completed 80% its site preparation and has an open path to construction.
GNS said that in 2026, it is undergoing two major capital raises, and a debt agreement for construction is being finalised with a central US bank this month.
