Sustainability in Everything We Do
Clear guidelines on operational practices and employee training
In SalMar we live our vision "Passion for salmon". Both fish health and fish welfare are vital to success when producing salmon.
In SalMar we consider producing salmon on the salmon's terms as one of the most important guidelines. It involves providing the best environmental conditions adapted to the various stages in the life cycle of the salmon. We use feed of quality, with the necessary nutrient content for good health and growth. We refrain from the use of growth enhancers and are committed to minimize the use of antibiotics.
Examples of the ways we promote fish health and fish welfare include:
• We have dedicated fish health personnel, who work locally, regionally and at the corporate level. This group of personnel has weekly, monthly and annual meetings to discuss relevant topics
• We train all SalMar employees on best practices with regards to fish health and fish welfare
• We carry out systematic efforts at the generational level and down to each individual group of fish, with specifically tailored actions taken
• We continuously conduct close follow-ups and monitoring of fish welfare indicators, including health monitoring and monitoring of thermal and physical comfort.
• We monitor the proportion of fish with lesions/wounds to ensure that fish welfare standards are upheld.
• We have our own breeding programme with the goal of more robust salmon
• We carry out systematic efforts with regard to smolt quality at our hatcheries through a focus on stable supplies of good quality water, a good tank environment for the fish, optimal oxygenation, good sorting and vaccination procedures, temperature control and much more
• We have specific feeding programmes for each life stage of the salmon
• We vaccinate all smolt before being transferred to sea farms. The type of vaccine is specific to the operating area
• We use sites with optimal biological conditions and have dedicated personnel analysing this
• We refrain from using antibiotics unless specifically advised by a trained veterinarian and use vaccination and biosecurity measures to prevent this use.
• We use preventive anti-lice efforts as the first line of combat, including cleaner fish and lice skirts. Delousing operations are done only when required by upper bound limits for each site. All delousing treatments are carried out by a dedicated team, with a risk assessment performed before each operation
• We farm robust cleaner fish in-house and provide specialized cleaner fish feed in all parts of its lifecycle. We use artificial kelp inside the net pens for stress relief and perform humane killing in accordance with local authorities.
• We have strict routines and policies for handling of fish and transport between different zones and sites to prevent the spread of disease
• We have protocols to reduce fish fear and stress during handling, and to all in all reduce the need for handling of the fish.
• We have monthly inspections with reports on fish health and fish welfare by an external entity
• We investigate and report on all mortalities at sea and their cause
• We have access to a large harvesting capacity at plants located near our sea farms, with associated wellboat capacity
• We monitor bulk oxygen and oxygen levels throughout the transport to processing facilities
• We perform humane killing by percussive or electric stunning, in compliance with the regulations. Only trained personnel are equipped to perform this task
• We conduct continuous improvement practices through employee training and R&D, as well as participation in different initiatives and projects for gaining knowledge on fish health and fish welfare
Operations and activities that could impact fish welfare are carried out with the utmost care by trained personnel who follow proper protocols and policies. An example of such activities is the handling of fish, where employees are required to take specific steps before carrying out the operations. This includes performing a risk assessment, which must be read and understood by all involved participants before operations. SalMar employees guide external parties in understanding proper protocol if necessary. Furthermore, the fish behavior and welfare indicators must be monitored throughout the process, and necessary actions must be taken if any abnormal behavior is demonstrated (e.g., by increased levels of stress or fear). Oxygen levels are also monitored throughout such activities.