Farming cold water fish in UAE will present new challenges, but RAS allows water temperatures to be regulated
ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, expects Finnforel to base the design on their existing recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) farms.
Founded in 2015, Finnforel currently operates two RAS facilities in Finland with a total production volume of 3,000 tonnes of rainbow trout per year. Through a high degree of vertical integration from hatchery to farming and packaging, Finnforel achieves significant efficiency and scale, and is seeking to multiply its capacity through global expansion by 2032.
If declared feasible ADQ say that the facility will be the first commercial-scale operation at KEZAD’s dedicated zone for aquaculture and related industries.
Mansour AlMulla, deputy group CEO at ADQ, said in a press release: “Our collaboration with Finnforel exemplifies our commitment to harnessing state-of-the-art technology to facilitate the expansion of local food production capabilities. With imports currently catering to the vast majority of the demand for protein in the UAE, our focus is to work towards closing supply gaps by introducing a new way of cultivating high-quality seafood that is cherished for its nutritional value.”
Pekka A Viljakainen, co-founder and CEO of Finnforel Group, added: “The current global realities are heightening our awareness of the critical importance of food security. In the foreseeable future, it will become imperative for every nation to ensure the local production of most of their consumed food, including fresh fish. Finnforel’s mission is to build a network of local facilities based on our tried-and-tested vertically integrated concept; an endeavour which must be pursued sustainably and with environmental responsibility. It is a tremendous honour for Finnforel to embark on this exciting journey of prospective growth with ADQ.”
Approximately 70 percent of the total seafood consumed in the UAE is currently imported, with the total volume of salmon imports alone amounting to ten thousand tons per year. With investments across the entire food value chain, ADQ aims to improve the UAE’s food resilience, by adopting cutting-edge technologies for domestic production.
