Atlantic Halibut

Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is a native species in Iceland and the first farming experiments began in 1985.  The company Fiskey which has led the development of halibut farming in Iceland was established in  1987.  The most significant progress was made in 1990 when the first juveniles were produced in Fiskey's hatchery.  

Methods

The spawning of Atlantic halibut is controlled by means of photoperiod manipulation which provides access to eggs during three seasons of the year instead of one. Halibut are stripped to obtain eggs and milts which are then transported to tanks in the hatchery and kept in the dark.  After 14 days in the tanks, the eggs are transferred to silos, where they hatch.  The larvae use the nutrition in the yolk-sac for growth and development. The larvae remain in the silo for about 50 days and then they are ready to feed on Artemia.  After 50 days, juveniles are weaned onto dry feed when they weigh about 0.3 grams.  When the juveniles have reached 5-10 grams, approximately six months after spawning, they are exported or transferred to on-growing stations in Iceland. 

The on-growing of halibut in Iceland takes place in land-based farms. Initially the fish are kept in indoor tanks, but when they have reached a certain size they are moved to outdoor tanks. The outdoor tanks are covered because halibut are at risk of sunburn if not protected from sunlight.  Atlantic halibut reach market size (3-5 kg) after 3-4 years from hatching.  

Juvenile production

In Iceland one hatchery for the production of halibut juveniles, Fiskey is located in Eyjafjörður.  Fiskey has been the largest individual producer of halibut juveniles on a global scale since 1998. The production of halibut juveniles has been the main obstacle in the development of halibut farming worldwide. Fiskey's production has been around 500,000 juveniles and it is expected that about 700,000-900,000 juveniles will be produced in the next few years. 

On-growing

Today only Silfurstjarnan produces halibut to market size. Silfurstjarnan is a land-based farm located in Öxarfjordur in the northeast coast of Iceland.  Production of Atlantic halibut was 2 tonnes in 1997, increasing to 135 tonnes in 2004. It is forecast that production will be less than 100 tonnes in 2010. 

Export

The export of Atlantic halibut reached a maximum of 230 million ISK in value in the year 2003. In 2007, however, the value was only 125 million ISK, mainly based on the export of halibut juveniles. 

Valdimar Ingi Gunnarsson