18 DECEMBER 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG are also being tried out by several farmers. Standard commercial licenses for sea-based production are only available at a high cost through mergers and acquisitions. Licenses for land-based salmon farming are free, but municipalities must allocate area for the facilities. Policies aimed to boost innovation have also been introduced by the government. In 2015, a call for special-purpose production licenses (“development licenses”) were announced. This policy provided production licenses to test technologies to applicants who suggested innovative concepts (Moe Føre et al. 2022). While new technologies may solve problems, they may introduce new challenges and incur trade-offs such as higher competency requirements, increased electricity costs, and pumping of water from the deep ocean (Misund et al. 2024). What the future holds for new technologies in salmon farming remains to be seen, but knowledge about the different drivers and Today, Norway is a global leader in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production and export, following a rapid growth rate since the beginning of the industry in the 1970’s. The most common technology for the grow-out phase involves sea-based net pens (Figure 1). However, the industry is becoming increasingly technologically diverse in efforts to solve a range of environmental challenges including salmon lice, local pollution, and salmon escapees. Although these challenges are not new, the media and public attention calling for improved sustainability and fish welfare in salmon production has increased in recent years. To reduce the risks with salmon lice, escapees, and pollution as well as utilise areas that are not suited for the traditional net pens, the industry is developing alternative production systems (e.g., closed and semi-closed systems, land-based systems and systems intended for open ocean areas). Submersible systems that lower the fish below the upper water layer where salmon lice are found Making Research Accessible Using a Digital Tool: Communicating Research Results Related to Norwegian Salmon Farming Using a Lightweight Web Application L. Veylit, A. Strand, T.L. Oftebro, A.U. Misund and T. Thorvaldsen FIGURE 1. The most common production system in Norway today for the grow-out phase of salmon is sea-based net pens (photo credit: Kristin Holseth, SINTEF Ocean).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=