With world population exceeding nine billion by 2050 aquaculture production -- expected to have grown 134% by that year compared to 2000 -- may be the key to meeting global demand for protein, Alf-Helge Aarskog, ceo of Marine Harvest ASA, told the North Atlantic Seafood Forum March 6.
Farming salmon in particular is more energy efficient than meat and poultry, Aarskog said. Feed conversion rate is only 1.2 for salmon, version two for chickens, three for pigs, and eight each for sheep and cattles. Salmon is also more easily digestible, and offers high levels of vitamins A, D and B12. Iodine, seleniumn, taurice and sterols plus marine omega-3.
Salmon production reached 1.783 million tons last year, versus a mere 200,000 in 1990, and nearly 170 countries are now import markets compared to 80. Pork, poultry and beef production havent increased nearly as much, and arent likely to. Norway accounted for most of last years output, at 1.065 million tons, followed by Chile at 327,000. Scotland at 142,000 and North America at 129,000. Europe was the largest market at 824,000 tons, followed by the US at 308,000 and Russia at 155,000.
Marine Harvest is the leading global player in farmed Atlantic salmon, with sales of NOK 16 billion in 21 countries and an HOG of 350,000 tons. It recently acquired 48.5% of Morpol ASA, the worlds leading salmon processor. But it has been troubled lately by weak prices in the United States and higher feed costs. Aarskog is working towards the company becoming more vertically integrated and thereby getting a better handle on the value chain.
