Sustainability
“Our core value is sustainability. We must take care of our environment, so future generations can have the same opportunities as we have today. We farm salmon in harmony with nature, and we strive to ensure that all our activities are performed with minimum impact on the environment.”
– Atli Gregersen, Owner & CEOPreserving the Salmon’s Environment
For decades, we have moved our salmon pens regularly to more exposed locations with stronger currents and higher waves. Today, we raise our salmon in the harshest weather conditions compared to other salmon farmers worldwide, with the strongest currents and the highest waves. This ensures optimal animal welfare, superior quality salmon and prevents seabed pollution.
At Hiddenfjord, we regularly gather water quality and seabed measurements to ensure optimal farming conditions. To guarantee the quality of the seabed, the Faroese Environment Agency performs inspections of the seabed for every production cycle.
Our salmon are raised in the most exposed sites in the world
Another vital part in protecting the salmon’s environment is the “all-in, all-out” strategy. Each production site is limited to only one generation of salmon. Between each generation, all equipment must be dismantled, thoroughly cleaned, and approved by the Food and Veterinary Agency. Thereafter, sites are required to lie fallow for a minimum of two months before a new generation can be raised in the area.
Salmon Should Swim, Not Fly
Air freight is a major contributor to global CO2 emissions. A 2021 report by SINTEF, an independent Norwegian research institute, shows that air freight leaves a carbon footprint approx. 50 times higher than transoceanic sea freight.*
In 2020, we became the first company in the aquaculture industry to stop distributing salmon by using air freight. A study by SINTEF shows that Hiddenfjord has reduced carbon emissions from overseas transportation by 94% as a result of switching to only sea freight.
* Depending on flight type and distance
Sustainability Through Efficiency
Feed is the second-biggest contributor to the carbon footprint of salmon production, which is why we have been constantly working on reducing our Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) as much as possible. In 2020, our FCR stood at 1.06 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of salmon, which is around 12% lower than the industry average. We use innovative feeding systems with underwater cameras, sensors, and software for monitoring the feed pellet distribution in the fish pens. This has helped us reduce feed waste to an absolute minimum.
Fish Welfare
Regulations require that the maximum density in the pens should not exceed 25 kg/m3. To enhance fish welfare and to ensure that our salmon have ample room to thrive and grow, we aim to stick to our internal maximum value of 20 kg/m3 at all times. We also gather regular oxygen measurements to secure optimal fish welfare. As a result, we have some of the best survival rates in the industry. In 2021, our fish mortality rate stood at around 5%, compared to a global industry average of around 15%.
Sea lice are a natural part of a wild salmon’s life, but also a big problem for most salmon farmers. Since 2010, we have done significant research and invested heavily to increase the size of our fresh-water salmon (smolt) before moving them into pens in the ocean. The aim of this innovative project was to reduce the time with sea lice exposure. As of today, we have managed to increase the smolt size from the initial 80 g to 600 g.
In 2014, we implemented the use of lumpfish in all our pens as a natural way to fight sea lice. The lumpfish eat the sea lice in a natural symbiosis with the salmon. We have dedicated marine biologists and veterinarians working on lumpfish welfare, effciency and developing new strategies. This work has been both ground-breaking and highly successful, and we have initiated several research projects about lumpfish that have received worldwide recognition.
Advocating for Sustainable Practices Within the Industry
In 2003, the Faroe Islands implemented one of the most comprehensive and stringent veterinarian regulatory regimes for aquaculture in the world, the Faroese Veterinarian Act on Aquaculture. Hiddenfjord was the initiator and main driving force of the process that led to this new legislation. Today, we have the safest fish production environment regarding diseases in the world.
The Faroese Veterinarian Act on Aquaculture has provided inspiration and guidance for the implementation of sustainable aquaculture standards around the world. We continue to utilise our experience in sustainable practices through ongoing active initiatives for the improvement of sustainability standards within our industry, and for advocating appropriately strict, albeit not destructive, farming regulations. In order to preserve our planet for future generations, we must take action. That is why for us, sustainability is more than just a buzzword – it is a top priority in everything we do.
In 2021, our fish mortality rate stood at around 5%, compared to a global industry average of around 15%
