Three months after the fish were removed, Cermaq’s closed containment salmon are performing very well.
Certus, Cermaq’s closed cage for post-smolt in Horsvaagen, Nordland (Northern Norway), stands out from the other cages in the area for its bright orange ring. Underneath it has both a tight cloth and a traditional grid, so it’s doubled up against protection from escapes.
“Here the fish are thriving, and have grown better than the fish in the cages around the area, mortality is minimal and lice are no problem,” said Kjell Hansen, project coordinator in Nordland.
The cage has been named “Certus” because its Latin word means “safe”. So far, technology has proved robust and functional, which is important to ensure water flow in the cage, water exchange from deeper water, light and oxygen content in the water, Cermaq wrote in a press release.
Certus is also a good workplace where consideration for safe work operations is emphasized in the construction. It is easy and safe to move around at the facility,” emphasised Kjell Hansen.
The fish should be in the cage until June, and then moved into an open net cage the last growth phase until harvest.
“The first data from Certus supports the potential of closed containment cages. Our further ambition is to develop a closed containment cage concept (Flexifarm) where we use modern purification technology for the intake water to prevent the intake of pathogens and thus infectious diseases,” says Harald Takle, Cermaq’s research director for farming technology.
