The $300 Million Plan to Farm Salmon in the Middle of the Ocean
The semi-submersible Ocean Farm 1 off the coast of Norway can hold 1.5 million fish.
Towing the Ocean Farm 1 into the Norwegian Sea.
Source: SalMarThree miles off Norway’s rugged coast, 1.5 million salmon swim in a 220-foot-high, football-field-long mass of floating mesh-wire frames and nets. This is Ocean Farm 1, the world’s first deep-sea aquaculture project, designed by leading salmon farmer SalMar ASA. The company paid China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. $300 million upfront for six facilities that offer more space than conventional shoreline farms (large nets in sheltered waters) while diffusing fish waste, allowing them to be packed in tighter.
Oxygen sensors and high-definition cameras monitor the salmon for, among other things, growth and signs of illness. Midway through Ocean Farm 1’s yearlong trial run, SalMar says it’s seen strong growth and low mortality rates.