Culture-based aquaculture

Capture and on-growing of cod juveniles

Háafell in collaboration with Hraðfrystihúsið-Gunnvör, has been experimentally capturing wild juvenile cod (2-3 g) since fall 2001. Since 2004 one million wild juvenile cod have been captured annually in Isafjardardjup, Northwest Iceland. Times of capture are from late summer until fall. The fishing vessel is an inshore shrimp trawler. On each capture day the juveniles are brought to the rearing tanks in Háafell. During the first few months, the juveniles are fed dry feed mixed with capelin, after which they are fed dry feed only. After 7-9 months the cod are transferred to sea cages when they are approximately 100-150 g in weight. Since 2004, 300,000-700,000 wild farmed juveniles have been stocked every year into sea cages in Ísafjarðardjúp and Eyjafjörður (on the north coast of Iceland).  Capture of wild juveniles has been stopped and last stocking in sea cage was performed in spring 2009.

Capture of cod for on-growing

The first on-growing trials with wild cod started in Iceland in 1992.  During the first years, the quantity of cod farmed was limited, but increased greatly in 2002 when the Ministry of Fisheries decided to allocate a 500 tonne annual quota to promote cod farming in Iceland. Each year, the quotas are allocated to 8-12 farmers, the amount depending on how much cod was produced on the farm, the scientific contribution and the quality of the report sent to the Marine Research Institute.  Wild cod (1-2 kg) for on-growing are mainly caught with Danish seine, Newfoundland trap and other types of pots, trawl, long line and hand line. The capture of cod has been stable, or 300-600 tonnes a year.  Wild cod are farmed in sea cages and mainly fed with capelin and herring for 6-18 months before harvesting. Production of wild farmed cod reached maximum volume in 2006 with about 1,200 tonnes being slaughtered. 

Cod ranching

Two experimental studies of cod ranching have been carried out in Iceland, one in Stödvarfjördur (1995-1996), a small fjord on the east coast and one in Arnarfjördur (2005-2006), a large fjord on the northwest coast.  In the ranching studies “herds” of wild cod have been established in certain areas by regular feeding and conditioning. The fish have shown high fidelity to their herds and displayed enormous growth rates. The plan is to capture and harvest the conditioned cod in an optimal way. The main aim of these studies is to find out whether cod ranching can be operated economically on a commercial scale. 

Collection of blue mussel spat

Mussels spawn in early summer in Iceland and following external fertilization the embryos differentiate quickly into free swimming larvae. In Iceland, the larvae settle on collectors in late summer or early autumn and there has been high settlement intensity at all sites. The mussel growth in the first winter is little or none, but increases in spring with rising temperature and food availability. The time needed for mussel to reach market size can differ from one site to another. In Iceland the mussels need 2–3 years to attain market size (50-70 mm).

Valdimar Ingi Gunnarsson