Marine Harvest is proposing to build radical new salmon farms in Canada.
The Vancouver Sun has reported that the ocean-based closed containment and semi-closed farm design, called the “Egg” could be deployed in British Colombia, west Canada.
“Most of the (research and development) we do is in Norway, where there is strong government support for it,” said Marine Harvest Canada spokesman Jeremy Dunn told the publication. “But any technology that proves itself sustainable and efficient, we would certainly look at (in B.C.).”
“Our coastline offers us a huge advantage, and technology can help us utilise that marine environment,” he said. “When these technologies are proven to work, they are quickly deployed and adopted all over the world.”
- Read more: Marine Harvest Egg nearer hatching
Marine Harvest’s “Egg” has been described by its managing director, Alf Helge Aarskog, as the future way to produce fish. The company plans for it to be fish-ready by 2019.
Made in Norway by Hauge Aqua, the closed technology makes it far easier to avoid both lice and escapes. In addition, waste is collected at the bottom of the “Egg” to be used as biofuel.
Marine Harvest has applied to the Norwegian government for six development licenses that would allow them to build the new farms to full scale without the expense of a commercial farm license.
