The recently formed offshoot of Grieg Seafood, which has a production unit under construction on the east coast of Canada, has agreed the deal with the Benchmark Holdings-owned company StofnFiskur HF in Iceland. During the period, more than 22 million eggs will be delivered to Grieg NL's new plant. Deliveries will start in 2019.
© Stofnfiskur
To comply with the strict environmental requirements from the Canadian authorities, the selected eggs will produce sterile salmon (triploid) to avoid reproduction and settling if escapes were to occur. These eggs are genetically selected for growth, high quality characteristics, and improved resistance to a variety of diseases. The production at StofnFiskur takes place in land-based units with the highest standards of biosecurity.
“We have been in close dialogue with Grieg NL since 2016 to assist them in obtaining licences for production in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Grieg NL is now in the final stage of implementing environmental impact studies - EIS - and we are confident that Grieg NL will receive the licenses,” says Rudi Ripman Seim, Fish Health Manager at Benchmark Genetics.
Grieg NL has invested large amounts in this project, and obtaining licences is of key importance to the completion of the project. Assuming that the project is completed, Benchmark Genetics will be the only foreign company to supply Atlantic salmon genetics to Canada.
"We are very proud that yet another major international salmon producer has chosen one of our breeding companies as a supplier for genetic material," said Jan-Emil Johannessen, head of the Benchmark Genetics division. "Sustainable growth goes hand in hand with conservation of the environment, and we are very pleased to be able to deliver solutions that meet market demands."
