Havlaks partners with Skretting and Eidsvaag ahead of Norwegian offshore salmon farming block application

Norwegian company Havlaks announced on 28 October 2026 that it has entered into partnerships with feed supplier Skretting and feed logistics service provider Eidsvaag to prepare for applying for the offshore salmon farming blocks Norway is about to open. The collaboration was announced after the company said in August that it had secured the rights to use Aqualoop's Big Dipper offshore salmon farming technology.

Havlaks chairman Stein Wold Østerhus said in a press release that Norwegian authorities are expected to invite the first applicants to take part in the new offshore farming block application soon. He said technology and solutions alone are not enough to support a successful application; equally important is access to expertise, execution capability and the necessary security of supply. Østerhus also said more partnership arrangements will follow.

Through Aqualoop, Havlaks is also connected to a network of offshore fish farming partners, including technology and service providers DNV, BOA Offshore, Frøy, Maccaferri and Cflow.

For Eidsvaag, the collaboration gives it an opportunity to adapt its services to the needs of offshore production. Eidsvaag CEO Vidar Eidsvaag said that by working with Havlaks, the company can understand the unique challenges involved in offshore salmon farming, and thereby develop and provide the best commercial solutions for offshore salmon farming.

Havlaks expects the new farming blocks to be located more than 40 nautical miles offshore, in waters at least 300 metres deep, with wave heights potentially reaching 30 metres. Operating in these exposed locations requires new cage designs, as well as a deeper understanding of how biological risks, fish welfare and production regimes differ from conventional nearshore farming.

Havlaks, together with one of its owners, Norway Offshore Salmon, is investing in knowledge, technology and solutions to manage these biological risks. Its preparations also involve how to develop and operate safely and responsibly if an area contains multiple offshore farms.

Østerhus said many types of risk exist both nearshore and offshore, but the key to success lies in understanding the differences between the two and how best to manage these risks offshore, especially in the context of achieving optimal fish welfare.

Havlaks also announced collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and appointed an advisory board whose members include NTNU professor Kjell Inge Reitan, associate professor Martin Føre, Trude Heggstad of DNV and Andreas Skagøy of Frøy.

Professor Reitan said the work Havlaks and Norway Offshore Salmon are doing to better understand and manage offshore biological production risks is both impressive and important; he is honoured to take part in Havlaks' pioneering offshore salmon farming work and believes that in a few years' time, people will understand the importance of this new industry.