Pilot scale studies of intensive cod farming in Norway

Abstract

Cod fry produced in a seawater pond at Austevoll, Norway were used in a farming experiment. Cod larvae were start fed on the natural plankton in the pond. Additional feeding with dry pellet started when the fry were 60 days old. The mean weights were 2,5 g when 5.000 cod fry were transferred from the pond to farming facilities at the Aquaculture Station in late May. Small fish were kept in tanks. As the fish grew larger, they were transferred to net pens. Small fish were fed dry pellet, while larger fish were fed moist pellet. Weight of different groups varied between 0,5 kg and 1,0 kg after 21 months. Total survival was less than 20%, losses were caused by cannibalism, vibriosis, predation and accidental holes in the netpens.