Sustainability in Everything We Do
CSRD Reference
E3 Water and Marine Resources
SalMar recognizes the global challenges related to water scarcity and quality. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all freshwater used in SalMar’s operations is sourced and managed responsibly, supporting both fish welfare and sustainable ecosystems. SalMar is committed to maintaining the highest possible water quality for salmon while minimizing consumption, and to ensuring that suppliers follow responsible and sustainable water practices. Through this approach, water stewardship is fully integrated into SalMar’s business strategy and overall sustainability efforts.
This policy applies to all freshwater use across SalMar’s operations, including onshore hatcheries, harvesting and processing plants, and activities carried out by suppliers. It covers all aspects of water use, including sourcing/withdrawal, consumption, discharge, and quality management, ensuring responsible and sustainable practices across the value chain.
The Board of Directors holds ultimate responsibility for SalMar’s water management strategy. The Senior Management is accountable for integrating water-related risks into company-wide risk assessments and ensuring effective implementation across all operations. Production departments oversee sustainable water sourcing, use, and treatment, as well as continuously monitoring and controlling water quality.
All SalMar’s direct operations are located in areas of low water risk and low risk of water scarcity. However, feed production partly occurs in areas with higher water risk. Feed suppliers operating in these areas are required to manage freshwater responsibly, establish water use reduction targets aligned with SalMar’s Supplier Code of Conduct, and develop mitigation strategies. SalMar engages continuously with feed suppliers to improve water efficiency, monitor impacts and risks, and ensure responsible water management throughout the supply chain.
Water quality, withdrawal, discharge, and consumption are continuously monitored across all operations. Wastewater from smolt production is treated before discharge, with locations determined through third-party environmental assessments to minimize marine impact. Feed suppliers’ water use in higher-risk areas is reviewed through risk assessments.
All water-related performance, including monitoring results, targets, and progress, is disclosed annually in SalMar’s sustainability report.
SalMar’s strategy is to minimize freshwater consumption while maintaining the highest water quality across all operations. This commitment is supported by clear targets and supplier requirements.
While the targets apply to SalMar’s direct operations, feed suppliers operating in higher-risk areas are required to implement water stewardship programs, including wastewater treatment solutions and efficiency measures. These programs are guided by external water risk assessments and ProTerra principles, ensuring responsible water management throughout the supply chain.
The following sections outline the Group’s most material risks and opportunities, along with strategic targets established.
Access to high quality freshwater
SalMar is dependent on stable access to high‑quality freshwater for smolt production. If key freshwater sources become contaminated, degraded or scarce, production capacity could be reduced and fish health compromised. Such disruptions could have a significant financial impact and underline the importance of safeguarding freshwater resources and maintaining sustainable water management practices across the Group’s freshwater facilities. SalMar is dependent on high quality freshwater for smolt production. If vital freshwater sources are contaminated or scarce, the implications could be severe.
Water efficient technologies
Although salmon spend most of their lifecycle in seawater, access to highquality freshwater remains essential during early life stages and for processing. To reduce freshwater demand and strengthen longterm resilience, SalMar uses advanced recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), which substantially lower water consumption by continuously treating and reusing water. Continued investment in these waterefficient technologies helps reduce overall freshwater requirements and limits dependence on vulnerable freshwater sources.
The adoption of dry ice for salmon cooling offers an additional opportunity to cut direct water use without compromising product quality. Furthermore, SalMar collaborates with feed suppliers to promote best practices in water management and water stewardship programs, enhancing water efficiency and resilience throughout the supply chain.
SalMar targets to reduce freshwater withdrawal and freshwater discharge by 20% from 2022 to 2030, in alignment with SalMar’s Water Management Policy and UN SDG 6.4 on increasing water‑use efficiency.
SalMar targets to maintain zero incidents of non‑compliance with water quality and discharge permits. It also include ensuring that wastewater meets permit conditions, including maintaining ≤ 1000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids. These targets align with UN SDG 6.3 on improving water quality and reducing pollution.
Reduce water consumption through operational efficiency measures, technological improvements and reduced reliance on freshwater‑based ice, in alignment with SalMar’s Water Management Policy and UN SDG 6.4 on increasing water‑use efficiency.
SalMar has established freshwater reduction targets aligned with UN SDG 6.4 to ensure responsible water use in its operations:
| Scope | Target | Time horizon |
|---|---|---|
| Freshwater withdrawal | 20% reduction | From 2022 to 2030 |
| Freshwater discharge | 20% reduction | From 2022 to 2030 |
SalMar implements a range of operational measures to meet targets, reduce freshwater consumption, maintain high water quality, and promote responsible water management across all operations and the supply chain. These measures include:
Smolt production in RAS to recycle 96–99% of water.
Purification of all wastewater before discharge, selecting treatment and discharge points to minimize environmental impact and, where possible, improve recipient water quality.
Engagement with feed suppliers to ensure responsible water use, implementation of water stewardship programs, and development of mitigation strategies in higher-risk areas.
Use of dry ice instead of water-based ice for salmon cooling, reducing direct water consumption.