Posts by Janice Johnston
Call for labelling to identify salmon diseases
The Norwegian Consumer Council says customers should be told when salmon sold in shops have a history of illness. But the industry has come out strongly against the idea, arguing that fish diseases do not affect humans. Norway’s salmon farmers have been particularly badly affected by various biological diseases such as infectious salmon anaemia (ISA)…
Read MoreBakkafrost to postpone some slaughtering as profits drop
The Bakkafrost Group delivered a total operating EBIT or operating profit of 269 million Danish kroner (£31m) during the Q3 July to September period this year, down from DKK 325m (£37m) 12 months ago. With lower harvests from the Faroe Islands and problems in Scotland, the results were not unexpected, but the company has also…
Read MoreBakkafrost Scotland losses mount but progress on the horizon
Bakkafrost’s farming operations in Scotland continued to produce sizeable losses between July and September, the Q3 figures show. The Farming Scotland EBIT or operational loss was DKK 282 million (£33m), up from a loss of DKK 180m (£21m) a year ago. Freshwater Scotland saw its operational EBIT or profit increase from DKK 11m (£1.2m) to…
Read MoreScottish Government confirms it is scrapping HPMA plan
The Scottish Government’s plan to introduce highly protected marine areas covering a tenth of the country’s waters is dead – and that’s official. The government has today confirmed that, following an extensive consultation on the proposal, the plan for highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) will not be taken forward. Under the consultation, HPMAs would be…
Read MoreItalians turning to salmon – that’s amore!
Italy is falling in love with salmon in a big way, says the Norwegian Seafood Council. Export figures show that the country has been leading the way in terms of growing demand in the run up to Christmas. Measured in euros, Italy is now the third largest growth market after Poland and Denmark, Europe’s two…
Read More€100m growth related loan facility secured for Arnarlax
Icelandic Salmon has successfully secured a sustainably linked €100m (£87m) bank facility through its subsidiary Arnarlax. Chief financial officer Jónas Heiðar Birgisson said the facility will support the company’s growth strategy and enhance operational flexibility. It is also aimed at refinancing existing loans. The arrangement was carried out in collaboration with DNB, Danske Bank, and…
Read MoreScottish business bodies call for rate freeze
Salmon Scotland is among 35 leading business representative groups and industry bodies calling for a business rate freeze for Scotland. The 35 organisations have jointly written to the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary. They represent a broad cross section of Scottish industry and commerce, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, tourism, leisure, and commercial…
Read MoreAn unholy alliance
Over the last decade, it has become clear that our country is developing a worse and worse climate for business. Government is populated by people who simply don’t understand that industry employs most of the populace and pays most of the taxes, directly or indirectly. Much more worryingly, these people also do not understand the…
Read MoreLerøy sites hit by mass mortalities
Calls are growing for a full investigation into large scale deaths at a Lerøy salmon farm sites in Norway. Thousands of fish are reported to have died in recent weeks from gill disease and possibly other health issues. Lerøy has said it is taking the incidents very seriously and is working hard to find out what…
Read MoreStatt Torsk losses continue to rise despite revenue growth
Cod farmer Statt Torsk, which is merging with the whitefish producer Vesterålen Havbruk, has reported a more than fourfold increase in its third quarter turnover, but the company continues to be loss-making. Revenues increased from NOK 3.2m (£235,000) a year ago to NOK 14.1m (just over £1m) this time. This improvement did not, however, prevent…
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