Successful feed tests at Kvalnes

29. September 2025

Andfjord Salmon, together with feed supplier Skretting, and Smir, the supplier of our newly purchased feeding system, has now completed successful feed tests at Kvalnes, Andøya. The goal is to further improve the feed conversion ratio in future production cycles.

Three types of feed were tested in pool K0 at Kvalnes: a standard feed as well as test feeds that Skretting has developed specifically for Andfjord Salmon with two different types of buoyancy properties.

"Together, we are developing innovative solutions that create optimal synergies between biology and technology in Andfjord Salmon's systems to realise the full potential of Atlantic salmon. The latest tests were very successful and confirmed our goal: to ensure a sinking rate that allows the feed to sink slowly down vertically, while the water in the flow-through system moves horizontally – without the feed becoming suspended in the water or remaining on the surface," says Chris van Bussel, Land Based Farming Specialist at Skretting.

In the previous production cycle, which ended in 2023, Andfjord Salmon had a feed conversion ratio of 1.05, compared to the then industry average of 1.27. This means that Andfjord Salmon used 1.05 kg of feed per kilogram of salmon produced.

"This is step one of our collaboration with Skretting, i.e. verifying the behaviour of the pellets in the pool. Now we can continue our work on further improving the structure and content of the pellets," says Yvonne Bakken, who led the Andfjord Salmon team involved in the feed tests.

"The goal is to further improve the feed conversion ratio and achieve an even more uniform group of fish. That is, more fish of the same size. Testing feed with the new feeding system was therefore an important step to achieving our goal," adds Bakken.

New feeding system

Andfjord Salmon has invested in a new feeding system supplied by Smir. The new system uses waterborne feeding, which means that the feed is discharged into the pool just below the surface of the water. This enables a higher level of precision in the feed sinking rate, which means less feed waste. Distribution using seawater, rather than compressed air, also means less wear and tear on pipes and hoses.

"This is an exciting project for us, and we are very pleased to have delivered a complete water feeding system to Andfjord Salmon. Through this delivery, the company has gained an energy-efficient facility that facilitates high feeding capacity, while at the same time being very gentle on the feed – something that has already been confirmed by initial tests," says Martin Eikrem, Project Manager at Smir.

The new feeding system also makes it possible to adjust the distribution pressure and area according to how many fish are in the pool at any given time.

"The system makes it easier to deliver enough feed so that all the fish are fed, including salmon that swim at greater depths in the pool. Overall, this means higher feeding capacity, reduced feed waste, and lower energy consumption," says Gøran Johansen, Operations Manager at Andfjord Salmon.

"It was important to test the possibilities and flexibility of distributing feed in the pool. This will enable further development of the process together with Smir and the possibility to adapt feed to the number of fish, the season, and temperature. This is a good example of the synergies gained by developing the feed type and feeding system together. We can subsequently link this to light distribution and oxygen supplementation," adds Johansen.

Calanus® Plus by Andfjord Salmon

In the upcoming production cycle, Andfjord Salmon will also utilise its specially developed feed, Calanus® Plus by Andfjord Salmon, which is the first feed to use the zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus as an ingredient. The feed also contains algae oil as an alternative to marine fish oil.

The feed is the result of a collaboration between Andfjord Salmon, Skretting, and Sortland-based company Zooca, which supplies Calanus to the feed manufacturer Skretting. The feed is tailor made for Andfjord Salmon's flow-through technology to ensure optimal water quality, fish welfare, and growth conditions in the pools.