Environmental Concerns

Nordic is a farm growing fresh food for customers in the Northeast. We rely on clean water and a healthy environment to grow our fish. The businesses of the future must incorporate both social responsibility and financial objectives to be truly successful in the long-term. Our brand and future certifications are highly sensitive to our environmental stewardship practices.

Investment in environmental technologies demonstrates our dedication to protecting the environment, and why Nordic Aquafarms is supported by serious environmental organizations.  Our production requires clean water to produce high quality fish. We have every incentive to be an environmental steward in Belfast to ensure clean water in the future.

Nordic uses Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) instead of net pens, flow-through raceways, or ponds. Land-based RAS farming was developed to mitigate impacts of these other types of fish farming.

For example:

• Nordic cleans and reuses production water.
• Nordic treats all water coming in and out of the farm for disease-causing pathogens.
• Nordic removes all solid waste from effluent and only discharges treated water.
• Nordic has extensive barriers to prevent fish escape.
• Nordic does not need medication and pesticides to treat parasites such as sea lice as they cannot enter the farm due to our extensive filtration and water treatment before the water enters the farm.

No. Our buildings will displace approx. 30 acres of forest that had been logged on a regular basis by its previous owners. We are also replanting areas and maintaining green visual buffers. In addition, we are working with the city to protect the Little River trails and waterfront for the community to enjoy through a donation.

We do not use growth hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides in our daily production. We produce a natural product and thus do not add any harmful chemicals to the production water.

FDA approved cleaners and disinfectants are used to clean other parts of the facility and are not directly discharged in any material quantities.

No. Biosecurity and fish welfare are the primary considerations for the farm design and operation. In addition to the biosecurity measures in place to ensure that the facility remains disease free, all water leaving the fish production areas including floor drains and processing will undergo extensive treatment of ultrafiltration through 0.04-micron filters equivalent to 1.5748e-6 inches in size before passing through UV disinfection at 300mJ/cm2. Fish health is closely monitored on the farm to manage and contain any early onset of disease if it were to occur.

On the global scale, the US ranks #1 in chicken and beef production, and #2 in pork production. However, we rank #16 in seafood production. We have much work to do. Salmon have a higher percentage of protein and energy retention when compared to the other protein sources on the graphic below. The feed conversion ratio is also the most efficient, given that for every 1.1 pounds of feed, you get 1 pound of fish.

When we look at the efficiency in use of local resources, our salmon will be one of the most resource efficient.