Roald Dolmen believes one thing, in particular, is important for the success of land-based salmon farming.
Dolmen, who has been in the aquaculture industry since 1984, recently resigned from his top job at NTS. Shortly afterward he acquired land-based salmon farmer Gaia Salmon.
“Land-based farming remains only at its inception in Norway. Gaia Salmon already has approvals on Træna (Northern Norway .ed) and areas in Rørvik (Central Norway .ed). This gives unique geographical advantages and a very good position for the way forward. The goal is to become a significant player in land-based farming,” Dolmen told SalmonBusiness after the investment in Gaia Salmon.
Dolmen has previously stated to the publication NT24 that Gaia Salmon will start up with land-based salmon farming because that is where the company sees it is possible to achieve growth. In an interview with the local newspaper Ytringen, Dolmen shared what he believes is the formula for success in land-based salmon farming.
“Many of these who are now planning land-based salmon farms are economists and adventurous investors, and I’m afraid many of these will hit a wall of reality. You have to succeed in the biology of this industry if you are to have success. You must be a farmer and walk in the barn every single day with one goal in mind. The welfare of the fish. New technology makes it possible to develop the industry on land, but at the bottom lies our knowledge of fish,” he said.
Dolmen further stated that there are still many biological challenges with onshore farming, which will take time to solve, and that cooperation with a sea-based facility may be needed to get the fish up to 5-6 kilograms in the final phase.
