Nordic Aquafarms US News

US Newsdesk

California

Will your discharge hurt the ocean, cause algae blooms or come into Humboldt Bay on incoming tides?

No. Nordic’s high-level filtering and disinfection means that discharge is essentially filtered water with traces of nutrients. More than 99% of phosphorus, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) are removed before the effluent is discharged into the ocean. High discharge treatment ensures that there is no significant impact to the surrounding waters or marine life at the point of discharge.

RAS aquaculture has been endorsed by multiple agencies, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Atlantic Salmon Federation (wild salmon conservation), Nature Conservancy, Food and Water Watch, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Sierra Club, Wild Fish Conservancy and more.

I’ve heard/read that fish farming is bad for the environment.  How is Nordic any different? 

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 our production water. Others don’t.
  • 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.

How much fish will Nordic produce per year?

  • Nordic plans to produce 25-27,000 metric tons of fish annually
  • This is approximately 15 percent of the demand anticipated for the west coast by 2030
  • Fish will be processed onsite into head-on-gutted (HOG) fish and filets
  • Fresh (not frozen) fish will be distributed to west coast markets

Will your fish or discharge water spread disease to the local fish populations?

In addition to all 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.

Why are you planning to produce Atlantic Salmon rather than a west coast species?

Nordic plans to target/displace existing consumption of Atlantic salmon on the West coast currently imported from overseas by airplanes and not compete with local fisherman. About 50% of salmon already consumed in California is imported Atlantic Salmon.

The Atlantic salmon used in Nordic’s facility are from breeding programs purposely designed to provide fish which thrive in a tank farming environment. No West Coast species of salmon has this level of domestication.

There exists decades of science on Atlantic salmon that allows us to understand specific nutritional and health requirements for farming this species. This does not exist for West coast species.

Are your fish vaccinated to prevent disease?

Nordic uses immunization through a vaccination program combined with veterinary monitoring and testing to ensure our fish are healthy without the need for employing antibiotics or medications.

Eggs are sourced from pathogen free broodstock, disinfected prior to entering the farm, and placed under quarantine until they pass a certified health inspection. Every cohort of fish is tested for all pathogens of concern before being released from quarantine.

Incoming water is filtered to such an extent that bacteria, pathogens, parasites, and viruses are removed; water is further sterilized using ultraviolet light before contact with fish.

An accredited veterinarian will work with us to conduct fish health checks in the facility on a regular basis. Staff will be trained to understand fish behavior and appearance to identify early signs of health issues.

Bio-security measures prevent movement of pathogens onto the farm via people, feed, equipment, pests, or other vectors.