Frequently Asked Questions

From the moment a salmon starts life as a tiny egg until it ends up on your dinner plate, almost three years go by. In other words, it’s a long and complex process. At Nordlaks, we own every part of salmon production, what we call the value chain. This means we have facilities for broodstock, smolt, vaccination, and sea sites. We also have a feed center, a harvesting and fillet department, our own box factory and oil plant, wellboats and service vessels with their own crews, as well as a sales and marketing department. In addition, we have a quality department that carries out internal audits and ensures that the way we work always meets all legal requirements and certification criteria. This ensures that the salmon is safe to eat and that our customers get the quality they expect.

The first step in the value chain for a new generation of Nordlaks salmon is harvesting the roe from the broodstock. After the roe has been kept cold in our hatcheries and the eggs hatch, the fish are moved to freshwater tanks to grow. As the smolt grow larger, they are vaccinated. The salmon then go through a smoltification process, meaning they develop from freshwater fish into saltwater fish. This process mimics the life of wild salmon, which spend the beginning of their lives in freshwater rivers before swimming out to the salt water of the sea. When our smolt are ready, they are moved to one of our sea farms. Most of our salmon spend the rest of their lives in a traditional net pen, while some are moved on to our more exposed site, the Ocean Farm. Here, the salmon live out the rest of their lives. They are then sent to the harvesting plant and fillet department, where they are processed into whole fish and other salmon products, such as fillets. Finally, the salmon is sold and shipped to our markets.

Watch a video about the salmon’s life cycle here (in Norwegian).

A typical salmon farming facility at Nordlaks consists of between six and ten net pens, each holding between 250 and 750 tons of salmon. The pens have a floating collar on top and a net in which the salmon swim. Pen sizes vary at Nordlaks, but most are between 100 and 160 meters in circumference, while the nets are between 30 and 45 meters deep. The salmon live here until they are large enough to be harvested. They are then transported live by wellboat to the harvesting plant, where they are euthanized.

One of Nordlaks’ largest projects, the Ocean Farm, is also one of our salmon farms. The facility is located in more exposed waters, about five kilometers from shore, unlike our traditional farms, which are located inside the fjords. The pens at the Ocean Farm are larger, both in circumference and depth. The Ocean Farm has six pens, each holding up to 1,500 tons of salmon, and has a total capacity of up to 10,000 tons of salmon. You can read more about the Ocean Farm here.

The salmon have plenty of space in the pens. Nordlaks operates by a standard of 98 percent water and two percent salmon in each pen, which equals 25 kilograms of fish per cubic meter of water. This is also regulated by law.

At Nordlaks, we are committed to innovation and to finding new ways of farming salmon. One of these projects is the development project “Hydra.” The semi-closed unit, named Storbåtsegga, has a solid roof and solid walls extending 20 meters below the sea surface. The design is intended to keep sea lice and disease out and away from the fish. Read more about the project here.

The feed contains all the essential nutrients fish need for healthy growth and good health, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. The salmon are given dry feed that contains ingredients such as fishmeal, fish oil, fava beans, green peas, wheat, corn, and soy. Only certified, deforestation-free, and GMO-free soy is imported to Norway. On average, fish feed in Norway consists of around 75 percent plant-based ingredients and 25 percent marine raw materials. The type of feed the salmon receive depends on their size and the type of salmon. You can read more on the website of one of our feed suppliers, Skretting.

Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries sets Norway’s feed regulations. Among other things, these regulations are intended to ensure safe feed and safe products, and to promote good fish health and a healthy environment. Production is regulated by the Norwegian Food Act and by the provisions of the EEA Agreement, which are incorporated into Norwegian law through regulations under the Food Act. (Source: Norwegian regulations for salmon feed)

Farmed salmon grow more per kilogram of feed than land animals. A salmon needs around 1.2 kilograms of feed to grow one kilogram. By comparison, a cow needs five kilograms of feed, while a pig needs around three kilograms of feed, to grow one kilogram.

In 2025, Norway exported a total of 2.8 million tons of seafood, of which approximately 1.7 million tons was salmon (measured in round weight). At Nordlaks, we produce around 50,000 tons a year, making us Norway’s fifth-largest and the world’s tenth-largest salmon farming company.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a species of salmon found in the Atlantic Ocean. Several types of salmon are farmed, and Atlantic salmon is the most common in Norway. Other types include Pacific salmon, an umbrella term for several species that live mainly in the Pacific Ocean. The most common species include chum, coho, sockeye, pink, and chinook.

There are several differences between Atlantic salmon and other types of salmon. These differences can be based on species, geographic location, and farming practices, among other things. The color, flavor, texture, and size of the salmon can also vary between species.

Norway produces about half of all the salmon produced in the world, making it the world’s leading salmon farming nation. Chile is the world’s second-largest salmon producer, with about half of Norway’s production volume. Chile also produces trout and coho salmon. Together, Chile and Norway account for almost 65 percent of global farmed salmon production. The two countries account for around 80 percent of global Atlantic salmon production and approximately 50 percent of global trout production. There is a relatively large gap down to the third-largest producer, Scotland, followed by Canada, the Faroe Islands, Australia, the United States, and Iceland.

The largest companies in the industry include Mowi, SalMar, AquaChile, Lerøy, Cermaq, Cooke Aquaculture, and Bakkafrost, with production spread across several countries, including Norway, Chile, Canada, and the Faroe Islands. Nordlaks is the fifth-largest producer in Norway, and all of our production takes place in Norway. Globally, Nordlaks is the tenth-largest salmon producer.

Atlantic salmon is the dominant farmed species and alone accounts for about 70 percent of global farmed salmon production.

It takes about three years. However, this can vary. It depends on sea temperature, the feed the fish are given, disease, harvesting plant capacity, and so on. The salmon usually weigh between four and five kilograms at harvest, while the optimal harvest weight is around five kilograms. You can learn more about the salmon’s journey from egg to harvest size here (in Norwegian).

The short answer is both. By nature, salmon are anadromous, meaning they spawn in freshwater and spend most of their lives at sea. After the salmon hatch and weigh around 40 grams, they are placed in freshwater tanks to grow. As they grow larger (around 50 grams), they are vaccinated and eventually go through a process called smoltification. During this process, the young salmon develop from freshwater fish into saltwater fish. This process mimics the life of wild salmon, which spend the beginning of their lives in freshwater rivers before swimming out to the salt water of the sea. Once the smolt have fully adapted, they are moved to one of our traditional sea-based farming sites. Some of the fish are then moved on to exposed offshore sites, at the Ocean Farm.

Sustainable salmon farming involves many things. We work with environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In short, this means taking care of the environment, our fish, and our people, while running a financially sound business. Salmon farming has a complex value chain, where several elements can contribute to sustainable production at each stage. For example, we have electrified about 90 percent of our sites, we have hybrid wellboats powered by LNG and batteries, and we have our own box factory. Today, 100 percent of our production has at least one sustainability certification.

At the same time, ensuring good fish welfare is also important. Good fish health matters in its own right, but it also creates positive ripple effects. It leads to sound finances and a good reputation, but even more importantly, it means the salmon thrive and do well in their environment. Nordlaks’ farmed fish must be treated well and protected from unnecessary stress and strain. We have several core principles in place to ensure this.

Waste management is also important in salmon farming. At Nordlaks, we ensure that our waste is handled, stored, and delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. By viewing waste as a resource, we make sure it becomes part of a circular economy. In 2022, for example, we increased the recycling rate for nets from 42 to 100 percent, and we recovered 2,700 tons of sludge that was recycled at biogas plants and through composting.

At Nordlaks, we also care about our employees and the people around us. We work actively to make sure our employees feel a sense of belonging in the workplace and, not least, feel safe in their jobs. We want employees to be able to grow within the company, and we facilitate this. A good and healthy work environment increases job satisfaction, reduces sick leave, and helps make employees want to stay with the company. Every single employee matters to us, which is why we work strategically and continuously to be a socially sustainable company.

In addition to focusing on the well-being of our employees, we also work to strengthen our ties to the local community. Nordlaks is an integral part of the community, and we believe that contributing to local initiatives and development projects is essential to maintaining a positive impact on society. This can include support for local organizations, participation in community events, and contributions to education and training programs. Our goal is not only to be an employer, but also a positive force in the local community.

Taking care of the natural environment around us is also important. None of Nordlaks’ sites are located within or directly adjacent to protected areas. You can read more about what Nordlaks does in our annual report.

The aquaculture industry faces several challenges that we continuously work to prevent and reduce. Sea lice are one of the industry’s biggest challenges, and at Nordlaks we put a lot of work into preventing them. We have lice skirts at many of our sites and more than 200 laser units. This is enough to cover a large part of our production, and it has also been a key reason why we have been able to avoid delousing the fish in the spring. This has made the fish more robust when facing the delousing treatments that come in the fall. You can read more about other preventive measures against sea lice further down.

We also face various environmental challenges that we cannot always prepare for. One example is string jellyfish. These jellyfish cause burns on the fish that damage the skin. They also damage the gills. This makes the salmon more susceptible to infections and disease. During the winter months, the bacterium Moritella viscosa, which causes winter ulcers, also thrives. Winter ulcers are most common on the salmon’s skin but can also affect internal organs. We are testing new vaccines and new feed to see whether they can make the salmon more resistant to winter ulcers. You can read more about winter ulcers on the Norwegian Veterinary Institute’s website (in Norwegian).

Winter ulcers and wounds from string jellyfish are examples of conditions that harm the salmon’s health. The spread of disease, as well as other factors such as delousing not going as planned, can also lead to sudden increases in mortality. If this happens, we take it very seriously. Apart from workplace accidents, these are the worst situations we can experience. When they occur, we act quickly to limit the damage and carry out evaluations afterward to prevent similar incidents. We have strict procedures for reporting such events, and we work continuously on measures to prevent them.

At Nordlaks, we have measures in place to help us keep these challenges under control. A good biosecurity plan is designed to reduce and minimize the challenges we encounter. This includes thorough training, good hygiene for clothing and equipment to prevent the spread of viral and bacterial diseases, and disinfecting wellboats after each use. There is also a shared biosecurity plan along the coast and across farming companies, designed to prevent diseases from spreading from south to north or vice versa. In addition, we fallow our sites after each generation of salmon, which we are also required to do by law.

Like all other industries and large companies, we have a responsibility to protect the environment by reducing our emissions. The measures we have taken so far mean that we operate more sustainably today than in previous years. We have come a long way, but we can still do more. You can read more about this further down the page or in our annual report.

It is not a good thing when strains bred for specific traits mix with wild populations. In the long run, this can lead to reduced genetic diversity, and it can also make wild salmon less adaptable and less resilient to environmental changes and disease.

This problem can arise if, for example, farmed salmon escape. Escapes are highly undesirable for several reasons, including the negative impact on wild salmon if genetic interbreeding with farmed salmon occurs. In recent years, we have seen a decline in the number of escape incidents in the industry, and at Nordlaks we have a goal of zero escapes. The decline in escapes is an example of how the aquaculture industry has worked together to solve challenges. We report all escape incidents and suspected escapes to the authorities, and this information is publicly available on the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries’ website (in Norwegian).

Close contact between fish farms and natural waterways can also lead to the spread of disease. We take such incidents seriously and work continuously to prevent them from happening. One of our preventive measures is to regularly examine the wild fish around our sites.

At Nordlaks, it is important to us to contribute to good projects that protect wild salmon. We are a partner in the Blokken River project in Vesterålen, which aims to bring anadromous fish back to the river system. We also collaborate with the organization Anadrom, which brings together landowners, recreational anglers, and fish farming and hydropower companies. The foundation works both on measures to increase the number of wild salmon in the rivers included in the project and on developing the river systems into attractive spaces for the local community.

Salmon farming can affect biodiversity in several ways. The area directly beneath a farm is usually the most affected. Organic particles are released into the environment in the form of fish feces and any uneaten feed. Most of this organic matter usually settles as sediment directly under and around the farm, where it breaks down naturally. Our goal is to have the smallest possible impact on the environment, and all feeding at our sea sites is carried out and monitored by video from our feed center on Børøya in Vesterålen.

We carry out regular environmental surveys to monitor the seabed, both directly beneath the farms (B surveys) and in the surrounding area (C surveys). These legally required surveys are conducted by external companies and ensure that individual sites do not become overloaded.

Fallowing is an effective way to allow the seabed to recover after a production cycle. By law, sites must be fallowed for two months after each production cycle. We usually fallow our sites for longer than this.

We also examine wild fish around our sites and take samples to check, among other things, whether they have feed in their stomachs. If they do, it means we have overfed, and we then adjust the feed amount from our feed center.

Medicines can also affect the marine ecosystem. However, their use is strictly regulated and controlled. Our fish health department carries out environmental risk assessments before any medicinal treatment, to ensure that it does not affect other species or seabed conditions.

At Nordlaks, we are continuously working to reduce the environmental impact of running a large and complex company. We have improved a great deal in recent years, and we are proud to say that 100 percent of our production has at least one sustainability certification. You can read more about this here.

In recent years, one of our focus areas has been electrifying our sites. About 90 percent of our sites are now electrified, while the remaining sites are located far from high-voltage power lines, which makes electrification challenging.

We have invested in green technology such as hybrid wellboats and feed barges that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we use our own hydropower plants at some sites to generate electricity. We have our own polystyrene box factory, which means we no longer need to buy boxes and transport them from other suppliers. This has in turn led to fewer trucks on the road. It is also important to us to make use of raw materials that were previously considered waste. Our own biotechnical department produces fish oil and hydrolysate, among other things, which can be used in feed production. Our vision is to use the whole fish and create sustainable solutions through a circular economy.

Medicines are only used in accordance with advice from a veterinarian or fish health biologist. This prevents unnecessary use of medicines and potential harm to the areas around our sites. We have various measures in place to reduce our use of medicines, including zone management with fallowing, strategic use of large smolt, lice skirts, and lice lasers.

Although we have made significant progress, there is always room for improvement. We are committed to continuously developing and implementing new methods, technologies, and best practices to reduce our environmental impact. Our dedication to seeking innovative solutions and constantly improving our work is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainable salmon farming. We aim to be among the best in class, and we continue to explore and implement measures that reduce our impact on the environment while keeping our operations as sustainable and responsible as possible.

Today, 100 percent of our production has at least one sustainability certification. For example, all of our sites are certified under GLOBAL G.A.P., a recognized international standard that focuses particularly on requirements for food safety, occupational health and safety, fish welfare, and the environment.

GLOBAL G.A.P. also offers Chain of Custody certification. This means that certified products must be traceable throughout the entire value chain, from production to point of sale.

We also hold the following certifications and approvals at Nordlaks: IFS Food, HACCP, Kosher, GMP+, and FDA approval. Read more here.

Nordlaks holds permits from the relevant authorities for operations at all of our sea and land-based facilities. There have been no violations of land or natural resource rights. Our use of land and natural resources has had a positive impact on the economy in the areas where we operate. Through the Aquaculture Fund (a Norwegian state fund that collects and distributes revenue from the aquaculture industry), the county and municipalities where we operate receive payments every year. We have created new jobs in the local community and helped many suppliers in Northern Norway gain more contracts and employees.

Through sponsorships, we support local events and projects that promote culture, sports, and social activities. We invest in the future workforce by offering apprenticeships and other types of positions, which contribute to individual development while also strengthening skills and the workforce in the local community. At the same time, we support local businesses by buying services and products locally, contributing both to economic growth and to the exchange of new knowledge and expertise that benefits both parties. This mutually beneficial approach is fundamental to Nordlaks’ commitment to being a positive force in society and to creating sustainable development on several levels.

For Nordlaks, the local community matters in everything we do today and for the road ahead. We are committed to contributing to the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry and of Northern Norway, which is our home. Our vision, “Creating the future,” is also tied to the local perspective “To develop our local community.” Our vision and values are the foundation for all of our decisions and actions.

Sea lice are parasitic crustaceans that live on salmonids (salmon, trout, and Arctic char) and occur naturally in all marine waters in the Northern Hemisphere. The lice feed on the salmon’s mucus and blood, which can damage the fish’s outer skin barrier. These wounds can become entry points for various bacteria and viruses, increasing the risk of infectious diseases.

Sea lice can also cause increased jumping, which is a sign of stress in the fish. This can lead to impact injuries, for example if the fish jump and crash into structures in the farm. This can worsen the wounds caused by the lice and potentially lead to further complications for the fish’s health. You can read more about sea lice here.

Sea lice are the most common parasite found on farmed salmon, and we work continuously to combat them through control measures and monitoring. You can read more about the various measures below.

Nordlaks is required to comply with the Norwegian regulation on combating sea lice in aquaculture facilities. The purpose of the regulation is to reduce the occurrence of sea lice so that harm to the salmon is minimized, and to reduce and combat the development of resistance. The requirement is that there must be fewer than 0.5 adult female lice per salmon on average at the farm at all times, except during the spring period, when the limit is 0.2. Exceeding this limit creates a fish health problem for the salmon. That is why we count lice at all of our sites every week, and we base our decisions on harvesting and delousing plans on these numbers.

We also use lice skirts as a measure in several pens. A lice skirt is a type of barrier or screen placed around the farming pens to prevent or limit lice from getting in. The skirts are positioned close to the nets and extend ten meters down into the water. Lice skirts are most commonly used early in production, on small fish.

Nordlaks also has more than 200 lice lasers. These lasers are lowered into the pens and use AI to detect lice on the salmon. They fire laser beams at the lice, killing them without harming the salmon. Unlike with delousing treatments, the salmon can remain in their natural environment and are not stressed. The lasers are gentle and effective, and they play a major role in keeping lice levels down, especially in the spring.

In 2026, our semi-closed unit, the Ocean Tank Storbåtsegga, was put into operation. The unit has a solid roof and solid walls extending 20 meters below the sea surface. The enclosed design is intended to keep sea lice and disease out and away from the fish. You can read more about the project here.

At Nordlaks, our goal is to treat and handle our fish as little as possible. In some cases, treatment is necessary, and we have several delousing methods available for the salmon. All such treatments are carried out following a welfare assessment made by fish health professionals (a fish health biologist or veterinarian). If medicines are to be used, assessments of environmental impact and resistance development are also carried out, and a prescription must be issued.

A distinction is made between medicinal and non-medicinal delousing. We do our utmost to limit the use of medicinal methods, both out of consideration for the environment and to avoid the development of resistance. Our standard approach to delousing is non-medicinal, known as mechanical treatment.

Mechanical delousing is usually carried out using specialized devices or systems that physically remove the lice from the fish’s skin. We have our own wellboat, Harald Martin, where we can treat the fish with freshwater, Thermolicer (lukewarm water), and flushing. We can also combine these treatment methods. In addition, we hire other delousing vessels equipped with methods such as flushing and brushing.

If mechanical treatment is not considered acceptable from a fish welfare perspective, medicinal treatment may be considered. Medicines are only used in consultation with a veterinarian or fish health biologist. Together, we carry out professional risk assessments for both fish welfare and the surrounding environment.

Nordlaks always prioritizes non-medicinal delousing methods, and we have various measures in place to reduce our use of medicines. Examples include zone management with fallowing, strategic use of large smolt, lice skirts, and lice lasers (Stingray).

It is not always possible to control disease in fish farming. Some diseases spread quickly, and others are difficult to predict. We are continuously working on preventive measures, such as vaccines, to avoid disease. Our aquaculture technicians tend to the fish every single day, and our fish health department carries out regular inspections of all our sites, at least once a month. During these inspections, the health of the fish is assessed by observing the salmon’s behavior in the pens and by taking samples from the fish, among other things. If disease is suspected, samples are taken for histology examinations and PCR screening. For certain serious diseases, such as pancreas disease (PD), which causes the fish to stop eating, we are required by law to send samples from 20 fish for PCR screening every month. If fish die from disease, we perform necropsies to determine the cause and prevent further deaths.

Assessing the condition of the fish is also important when it comes to harvesting. If an inspection reveals serious health problems in a salmon population, we may, based on a professional assessment, prioritize treating and/or euthanizing the fish. This is done to reduce potential suffering and ensure the best possible fish welfare. No salmon should suffer unnecessarily, regardless of whether it has reached the desired harvest weight.

Like other food producers, our production is strictly regulated and monitored by the authorities, and we are committed to producing sustainable farmed salmon that is safe to eat. Examples of laws and regulations we must comply with include the Animal Welfare Act, the Salmon Lice Regulation, and the Aquaculture Operations Regulation.

Both unannounced and announced inspections are also carried out, including by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. We welcome these inspections. We are also responsible for reporting to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority if adverse events occur, such as increased mortality or notifiable diseases. We have procedures in place for this to make sure everything is done correctly. Regular environmental surveys are also carried out to monitor the seabed, both directly beneath the farms and in the surrounding area. These legally required surveys are conducted by external companies and ensure that individual sites do not become overloaded.

No, we do not use cleaner fish. We have previously carried out trials at our farms, but we believe that using cleaner fish is not acceptable from a fish welfare perspective.

At Nordlaks, we have strict guidelines for the use of chemicals and medicines, both to safeguard the health of the fish and to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment. We only use medicines in consultation with a fish health biologist or veterinarian, and after risk assessments that take the external environment into account. The use of medicines and chemicals is regulated by the Aquaculture Operations Regulation and requires particular caution.

The use of medicines can affect biodiversity at a site. That is why we have strict procedures that take the external environment into account. We also always prioritize non-medicinal treatments against sea lice, and we have significantly increased our capacity for these methods in recent years. In addition, we have clear goals for reducing our use of medicines, and antibiotics are never used preventively at Nordlaks’ farms.

You will never consume medicines when you eat farmed salmon, even if the fish have been treated. Each medicine has a withdrawal period, meaning a certain number of days must pass so the medicine has left the fish’s body before the fish can be harvested. This is also regulated by the Aquaculture Operations Regulation. In addition, each medicine is only used once per generation of salmon.

Nordlaks has a highly restrictive approach to the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are never used preventively at Nordlaks, and only in very exceptional cases for treatment, when it is necessary to safeguard fish welfare. We have used antibiotics on only one occasion since we started in 1989.

Nordlaks prioritizes and safeguards good fish welfare through thorough monitoring and inspections, both internal and external. We have our own fish health department that carries out monthly inspections of the conditions at all our sites and of the fish. This includes lice inspections and necropsies.

If disease is suspected, samples are taken and sent for analysis. We also carefully evaluate the environment to ensure conditions are optimal. This includes checking for conditions in the pen that could affect fish health, such as loose objects or debris that could cause impact injuries, as well as observing the fish’s behavior to identify any irregularities.

The fish health team and the aquaculture technicians at our sites, who are in daily contact with the fish, maintain close communication. This allows us to act quickly when needed. The fish health team is available for emergency visits and provides continuous follow-up to ensure that all operations are carried out responsibly and in a way that best safeguards fish welfare.

To reduce stress, our starting point is to handle the salmon as little as possible. When handling is necessary, we do it as gently as possible. We have several measures in place to minimize disease and its spread. Preventive measures include vaccination and various functional feeds, such as one designed to improve heart health and another designed to improve the salmon’s skin health.