Swiss Blue takes a step closer to 2,500-tonne salmon RAS facility
A project to build a 2,500-tonnes-per-year land-based salmon farm in Glarus county in eastern Switzerland has taken a step forward.
Developer Swiss Blue Salmon AG (SBS) said that the building application it submitted is now available for public review.
“The publication of this application brings the realisation of sustainable fish production in the Glarus region a significant step closer,” SBS said in a press release.
The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility at Mollis, Glarus Nord, is expected to cost 180 million Swiss francs (ÂŁ169m / NOK 2.28 billion) and will create 50 jobs.
The farm will be run almost exclusively on renewable energy, with additional sustainability achieved through passive cooling. SBS’s aquaculture system will operate using two water circuits – one for the fish, and a second circuit carrying a cold water supply from Lake Walen. This water has no direct contact with the fish and will enable sustainable cooling with minimal energy consumption, maintaining the ideal temperature for the salmon farm.
Opposed to net pens
The company was founded by chief executive Ruedi Ryf, who is described by SBS as a passionate fly fisherman, and it shares the same anti-net pen attitude held by some anglers.
“Traditional net penning in the sea has long been discredited,” SBS says in a press release, adding that mortality rates from diseases and parasites, such as sea lice or algal blooms, are high and cause immense animal suffering.
“At the same time, farmed salmon repeatedly escape from damaged net pens and mix with wild salmon. This demonstrably weakens the genetic makeup. At Swiss Blue Salmon, the well-being and health of the salmon are paramount. Problems with parasites or algal blooms do not occur in recirculating systems. The stress-free environment promotes the animals’ good health, which ultimately results in higher product quality.”
It adds that future growth in salmon farming must come exclusively from RAS.
SBS has produced a leaflet about its plans which it is posting to residents in the local area, and which is available to download from its website.
The company said that until the construction phase, the project is primarily financed by Swiss private investors.
"Swiss Blue Salmon AG is currently launching the final investment round for private investors. After receiving the building permit, financing will be taken over by institutional investors in the next phase. This is the crucial and last opportunity for angel and private investors to participate early in the Glarus salmon farm project before institutional investors come on board.”