Land-based salmon farm provides update

Odd Grydeland

Kuterra's CEO, Garry Ullstrom, participated in a session on land-based aquaculture held in connection with the annual conference of the Aquaculture Association of Canada.

At the event he provided an update on the company's progress:

• The first phase of a five module farm is approaching full biomass, with an annual production estimated to reach 470 tonnes.

• Kuterra expects to achieve profitability during the first quarter of next year (2016).

• The company is currently working with its sixth cohort of Atlantic salmon smolts, which has seen mortality levels of less than 1% during the first six weeks of rearing. Mortality among the first cohort was 24%, which dropped to 13 per cent for the second batch of smolts.

• Feed conversion rates (biological) have also improved- from 1.25 with cohort 1, 1.12 in cohort 2 and 1.08 in the last cohort harvested.

• Operating costs of production will be revealed during a meeting in West Virginia in October.

• The main challenges for Kuterra have been the amount of early maturing fish and a slow growth rate of its fish.

• Next steps include the planning and commissioning of a second module in order to improve the economies of scale, as well as a hatchery/smolt production facility.