A combination of reduced harvesting volume and increased feeding blows up sea inventory.
At the end of June, Norway’s salmon biomass was nine per cent up from what it was 12 months earlier. According to the Norwegian Seafood Federation’s Akvafakta, there were 678,000 tonnes of salmon in Norwegian fish farms at the end of June/July.
The explanation is twofold.
With only 95,000 tonnes in harvest volume, a decline of three per cent compared with June last year, and a feed consumption of 141,000 tonnes (up 14 per cent), inventory is increasing.
A closer look closer at salmon biomass, it is especially the oldest fish, the 2016 generation, that has a significantly larger number of individuals, which is the basis for the deviation. Also the youngest fish, the 2018 generation, has both more in number and somewhat higher average weight.
More salmon in the sea will increase harvest volumes in the coming months, and, all else being equal, could put pressure on salmon prices.