Processing facility of MOWI, formerly Marine Harvest, the world's largest producer of farmed salmon, with approx. 25% of global market share. Their biggest production area is Norway, and this plant in Fosnavag is their largest, handling an average of 100,000 salmon per day. They are sourced from netted enclosures in protected coastal waters after 12-13 months. Harvest weights for their North Atlantic salmon are 5.5 kg live (4.5 kg gutted), and their food contains fish meal, fish oil, and grains (primarily soybeans).
Fish arrive from 24-28 active sea sites, 6-10 pens per site, 200,000 fish per pen. Upon arrival, the fish are kept live in marine holding cages, and then pumped inside, where they are made docile by immersion in frigid CO2-laden water. They start in Red Sector (slaughter room) where they are knocked on the head and bled, then gutted, before being transferred to the quality/grading room, and then proceed to the fillet and packaging room.
Workers here earn 162k/hr starting wage, typical 180k/hr w/out overtime, 37.5hrs/wk, free medical care +40,000kr annual bonus.
I was told that demand is increasing 8% a year for Norway. Global production of farmed salmon is currently projected to go from 1Mtons in 2010 to 5Mtons by 2050.
- Filename
- STNMTZ_20160401_14076.tif
- Copyright
- ©2016 George Steinmetz
- Image Size
- 8688x5792 / 144.0MB
- Contained in galleries
- Europe's Food Revolution
