How technology and innovation shape Norway as a leader in aquaculture and sustainability

This is why Norway thrives on fishing and aquaculture, a tradition that has been passed down for many generations and has become one of the biggest and most sustainable seafood exporters in the world. Today, technology and innovation play an important role in the Norwegian aquaculture industry, The seafood nation relies heavily on ethology, marine biology, technology, and strict measures to ensure food safety and the future of the industry while keeping the ecosystems alive. 

In Norway, fish farms are located in the open sea, in the cold and clear waters of fjords, far from maritime traffic areas. A popular export product like Salmon is raised in a pen with ample space to swim and grow in a clean environment, guaranteed at least 97.5% water for every 2.5% Salmon.

A laser precision supported by AI technology is adopted to control sea lice without harming the fish, thanks to a data analysis system that can identify and monitor the fish with traces of sea lice on their body. All fish are treated with the utmost care as stress can have an impact on the taste. Between each farming cycle, farms are left to rest to preserve the natural environment and the seabed is closely monitored.

Farms are restricted to fewer than 750 per 28,953 km of coastline. Companies who are looking to develop fish farms must go through strict procedures for license application. Each year, fish farmers invest around THB6 billion (in addition to state investments) to fund research and development on aquaculture.

With an efficient supply chain management, Norway is able to export fresh Salmon from the pens to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok within 48 hours so that Thai consumers can indulge in this delicious and nutritious fish.

To keep up with the growing demand for quality seafood and sustainable farming globally, leading Norwegian seafood producers continue to innovate new solutions for farming fish in the open seas, from traditional net-pen farming to an ocean farm or a sea vessel, conceptualizing economies of scale and the use of technology to empower operations.

This approach has taken Salmon aquaculture to a new level. One Salmon farming company in Norway is operating a sea vessel almost the length of four football fields, which is currently the largest floating structure in the world, designed to have a lifetime of at least 25 years, and home to potentially two million Salmon, by utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to monitor, analyze, and broadcast data in real-time.

The data is then used to run a digital twin model of the vessel in a cloud-based solution enabling controllers to inspect and maintain activities in critical areas, measure the structure under adverse weather and sea conditions, and improve decision-making while heat maps are used to monitor feed output ensuring no lasting impact on the environment and meet strict compliance regulations of the Norwegian seafood industry.  

This is one example of how the Norwegian seafood industry is using its century-long expertise, data, insights, and advanced technology to manage aquaculture and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Yaya-Urassaya Sperbund, a Thai-Norwegian actress and the first Seafood from Norway presenter in Thailand had a chance to visit traditional and ocean Salmon farms and witness innovation and technology for a sustainable aquaculture in Vesterålen, Norway, under ‘The Story from the North’ campaign. Yaya–Urassaya’s visit to Norway served as a link between Thailand and Norway, bridging Thai people closer to Norway and helping to understand their way of life, life by the sea, and their great respect for nature.

Catch a glimpse of Norway and its advanced and sustainable aquaculture through ‘The Story from the North’, a 2:40-minute long video telling a story of people, nature, and sustainability through the eye of Yaya–Urassaya, here.