SalMar and Cargill launch NOK 500m R&D initiative

The world’s second biggest Atlantic salmon farmer, SalMar, is launching an ambitious research and development partnership, Salmon Living Lab, to help tackle the problems faced by the industry.

SalMar, which co-owns Scottish Sea Farms, calling upon industry leaders, NGOs, academia, and other people who live by and with the salmon to come together to share and learn. The global food and feed corporation Cargill is the first partner to sign up.

SalMar said official statistics show that key performance indicators are trending in the wrong direction. Fish mortality is increasing. Fish welfare is more challenging. The feed conversion ratio is going up.

At a crossroads

“Our aquaculture industry is at a crossroads. We have celebrated significant achievements in the past. We have succeeded in bringing large quantity of much sought-after salmon to customers and consumers worldwide. Now, we must acknowledge that we face greater challenges than we have done before,” said SalMar founder and chairman Gustav Witzøe.

“We must realise that there are simply too many gaps in our knowledge. We need to know more about the salmon which is the most important part of our value chain.”

There are simply too many gaps in our knowledge. We need to know more about the salmon

Gustav Witzøe

In addition to its expertise, SalMar said it will be supporting the initiative with a strong financial commitment and believes that about NOK 500 million (£37m) will be required to ensure that the project gets off to a good start, with the cost being shared among the parties who join the project. Its partners will be asked to contribute, but details are yet to be confirmed. When and where the centre will be built is not yet decided.

More collaboration

Helene Ziv-Douki, president of Cargill Aqua Nutrition, said: “We believe that bringing together the holistic capabilities of SalMar and Cargill will drive greater impact in improving animal welfare and sustainability, ultimately protecting, and aiding further sustainable growth of this critical industry. There is a need for more collaboration to tackle the challenges we are currently facing.

“To feed the growing world population and meet the increased demand for seafood, we need to work together. This first of its kind end to end research collaboration will help us bring the expertise of two world-class companies to the table in a way that’s never been done before to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our industry.”

SalMar chief executive Frode Arnsten said SalMar and Cargill considered themselves founders and catalysts of what they hope and expect will become a broad industry initiative.

Not a replacement

The activities of Salmon Living Lab will not replace other company specific research and development initiatives by the respective contributors, and all of those involved will bring only data and information that they are permitted to share. Collaboration will also be organised within the boundaries of what is acceptable by competition authorities and in accordance with relevant rules and regulation.

“As an industry, we have invested billions in advanced technology. Now we need to invest in biology. Salmon farmers like SalMar and countries that host our industry have set ambitious targets for growth. The Salmon Living Lab initiative must be seen in this context,” said Arntsen.

“In order for SalMar and the industry to achieve the ambitious goals and deliver according to expectations with respect to sustainability, we need to know more about our salmon, and what the fish needs from us.”