Kvarøy, Our Sustainable Salmon Farmers

At Azuluna, we source our salmon from the fjords of Norway, where the fish are humanely raised in an aquaculture system that respects aquatic life. Although we always strive to source our ingredients locally, our team deeply values the high welfare and ecologically conscientious practices employed by Kvarøy. A leader in sustainable salmon farming, Kvarøy (“Kwa-ray”) follows rigorous standards that ensure the marine environment and its natural resources are minimally impacted:  

Protecting the Marine Ecosystem:

Unlike traditional salmon farming, Kvarøy follows (or rests) their waters 3 times longer than required by law, allowing the environment 6-8 months to rebalance between farming periods. Kvarøy never uses pesticides, antibiotics, artificial coloring, or hormones- raising their salmon in the most natural way possible from egg to harvest. The waters in which Kvarøy farms are tested weekly, monitoring the aquatic landscape for any pollutants that may harm the fish or the surrounding environment. Using a double-net system with emergency nets, Kvarøy has prevented farmed salmon from breaching their pens and competing with natural wildlife. 

 

Location, Location, Location:

To mitigate the effects of aquaculture, Kvarøy strategically places its pens in waters with a strong current and great depths, allowing fish waste to be distributed throughout the fjord. Their selective pen placement prevents nutrient accumulation associated with traditional salmon farming, avoiding disease, harmful algae blooms, and oxygen depletion. 

Fish as Friends:

Kvarøy salmon pens are 2 parts fish to 98 parts water, allowing salmon the space to perform their natural behaviors. Kvarøy farmers are stewards of the sea and are trained on protocols that ensure humane animal husbandry. Practices include timed feedings that deter competition amongst the fish, underwater cameras to observe fish health, frequent visits from veterinary experts, and 24/7 site monitoring. 

Reduced Carbon Footprint:

Kvarøy Arctic produces 2.1kg CO2 emissions/kilo of farmed fish, a factor that is significantly lower than that of organic salmon and conventionally farmed salmon (2.5 kg CO2/ kilo and 3.5 kg CO2/kilo respectively).

Reduced Water Footprint:

Kvarøy uses 1,500 L of fresh water per kilo of farmed fish, a rate similar to that of organically raised salmon yet significantly lower than that of conventionally farmed salmon at 2,000 L per kilo.

Net Producer of Fish Protein:

The ratio of “fish in” to “fish out” represents how much fish oil and fish meal is used to feed farmed salmon. Feeder fish are not sourced sustainably, often relying on methods such as bottom trawling, which scrape the sea floor, decimating marine ecosystems, and producing excessive amounts of bycatch. The current industry gold standard is 1:1 (one lb of wild fish used as feed to raise one lb of farmed salmon); however, Kvarøy has exceeded this standard, achieving a 0.48:1 ratio, limiting their reliance on feeder fish.

Cleaner Feed for Healthier Fish:

Instead of relying on feeder fish, Kvarøy has partnered with Biomar to develop a new feed composed of the trimmings from processed North Atlantic wild fish caught in Marine Stewardship Council Certified fisheries, reducing food waste and preserving aquatic environments. Additionally, Kvarøy salmon feed features AlgaPrimeTM, a long chain omega-3 rich, fermented microalgae, supplementing the use of fishmeal while producing nutrient-dense salmon.

To learn more about how Kvarøy is nourishing its salmon, click here.

Contributing to Communities:

In order to uplift gender equality, Kvarøy has created the first international scholarship and immersive work program for women in aquaculture. Inductees receive a $10,000 scholarship and additional financial support to complete an aquaculture-based internship within their home countries. Kvarøy builds community at their home in Norway by providing jobs for greater than ¼ of the population living in their tiny, isolated community in the arctic circle.

Seeds and nuts such as flax, walnut, hemp, chia, and algae oil, provide ALA, a precursor to omega 3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA. Our bodies are able to convert ALA to DHA and EPA, though it varies, and thus, plant based sources often need to be consumed in larger quantities.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323144#omega-3-overview https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4491005/

For fish eaters, as a result of their commitment to the health of fish and the ecosystem they farm in, Kvarøy salmon have twice the omega-3 content as that of traditionally farmed salmon, earning the fishery an endorsement from the American Heart Association. This endorsement is a big deal as one of the most beneficial effects of omega-3 fats is its impact on improving heart health (lowering triglycerides and inflammatory markers) and overall disease prevention. Kvarøy believes, “Pristine waters equals pristine fish”. To learn more about Kvarøy salmon, please visit their website at or watch a brief video from PBS.