Growing interest in land-based fish farming

"Hope Sweden becomes a leader in sustainable aquaculture"

Fish farming on land is predicted to become a more important industry that can contribute to increasing food security. Through the project Collaborative platform for biomarine industries, a study visit was organized to two fish farming facilities in western Sweden.

About thirty people took the bus that went between Smögenlax Aquaculture in Kungshamn and Pond Fish and Greens in Floda.

- "I am convinced that aquaculture will develop in at least 15 of Västra Götaland's 49 municipalities in the next few years," says Niklas Wennberg, who runs Pond Fish and Greens in Floda, where he breeds freshwater fish in a closed system.

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing food sector in the world. According to Niklas Wennberg, there are good prospects for the sector to develop a lot in Västra Götaland. The good reasons are several: it can help reduce fishing pressure in the oceans, increase the self-sufficiency of protein and provide the production of locally produced and climate-smart food, which would also contribute to more jobs.

- We will see aquaculture in urban and rural areas, on a large and small scale. Mainly in freshwater for fish, but we will also see more and more cultivation of, for example, seaweed and molluscs in the sea," he predicts.

Circular business opportunities

Claes Lundberg works at Smögenlax Aquaculture in Kungshamn, which was the second facility visited on this day.

- My hope is that Sweden will become a leader in sustainable, land-based fish farming and the circular business opportunities that exist around this in, for example, feed," he says.

Smögenlax is working to produce the world's most sustainable salmon. Before scaling up its operations, the company is conducting pilot-scale tests within the Aquacircular project. Using advanced technology, they are following the life of the salmon in detail. This includes monitoring the health of the fish, how they react to different feeds and different purification techniques to ensure good water quality and zero discharge to the surrounding environment.

The issue of feed is particularly interesting in view of the predicted growth of aquaculture.

- We and our partners have developed a protein concentrate from grass, which we want to investigate whether it can be used as fish feed. That's why we're here today," says Agnes Falkenberg Brolin, from Agroväst and project manager for Green Valleys.

- "I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go on this study visit," says Gunnar Philipsson, a beef farmer from Resö, who sees an opportunity to use waste heat and other residual products from fish farming in his business.