SalMar
A Norwegian aquaculture company producing, processing, and selling farmed Atlantic salmon.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
SalMar ASA is a Norwegian aquaculture company and one of the world's largest producers of farmed Atlantic salmon. Established in 1991, the company operates across several stages of the salmon value chain, including broodfish and smolt production, marine-phase farming, processing, and sales. Its Norwegian farming activities are concentrated in Trøndelag, Nordmøre, and Troms, including production conducted through its subsidiary Senja Sjøfarm AS. SalMar also owns half of Norskott Havbruk, whose operations include Scottish Sea Farms in the United Kingdom. The company's core business is the cultivation of Atlantic salmon in marine farming sites, followed by harvesting, processing, and distribution to domestic and international customers. SalMar's products are sold in Norway and exported to markets in Asia, the United States, Canada, Russia, and other destinations. The company therefore combines a Norwegian production base with an international sales footprint rather than functioning primarily as a consumer-facing packaged-food label. SalMar has also invested in the development of offshore aquaculture. Its Ocean Farm 1 pilot facility began operating off the coast of Frøya in 2017. The structure was designed for exposed offshore conditions and has a reported height of 69 metres, a diameter of 110 metres, and a volume of approximately 250,000 cubic metres. It was returned to a shipyard in 2022 for improvements and repairs before being taken back to its farming location. SalMar has additionally described plans for a larger Smart Fish Farm concept. The company has been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange since 2007. Its principal shareholder is Gustav Magnar Witzøe, the son of SalMar's founder, although the available reference material does not establish that he is the company's executive leader. SalMar's strategic identity is built around scale in salmon farming, control of key production and processing activities, export capability, and experimentation with new production systems. Its corporate brand is more prominent in the seafood and aquaculture industry than as a retail-facing packaged-food brand.
History
SalMar was founded in Norway in 1991 and developed into a major producer of farmed Atlantic salmon. Its business is centered on marine-phase salmon farming, supported by broodfish and smolt production and followed by processing and commercial sale. The company's farming footprint spans important Norwegian aquaculture regions, including Trøndelag, Nordmøre, and Troms. Its Troms presence includes operations through Senja Sjøfarm AS. As SalMar expanded, it developed a broader value-chain position rather than limiting itself to the ownership of farming licenses. The business includes the production of young fish, grow-out in marine facilities, harvesting, processing, and the sale of salmon in domestic and export markets. The company sells into Norway as well as international destinations in Asia, North America, Russia, and elsewhere. SalMar also became connected to Scottish salmon production through its 50 percent ownership of Norskott Havbruk, which operates fish farms under Scottish Sea Farms. SalMar has been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange since 2007. The reference material identifies Gustav Magnar Witzøe, son of the founder, as the company's main shareholder. It does not provide enough information to identify a complete current or historical executive roster. A significant technological development in SalMar's history is Ocean Farm 1, an offshore fish-farming pilot project. The facility began operating off Frøya in 2017. Its large semi-offshore structure was designed to provide a production environment beyond conventional sheltered coastal sites. The facility is approximately 69 metres high and 110 metres in diameter, with a stated volume of about 250,000 cubic metres and a target production level of roughly 6,000 tonnes of salmon per year. In 2022, SalMar towed the facility to a shipyard for improvements and repairs and later returned it to its original location. The company has also planned a larger Smart Fish Farm concept, indicating an interest in extending aquaculture into more exposed offshore environments. These projects form part of SalMar's development story alongside its conventional Norwegian farming and processing operations. Publicly available reference material describes the company as active and internationally oriented, but does not provide sufficient detail for a reliable account of financial performance, leadership changes, acquisitions, controversies, or campaign history.
- 2022
Ocean Farm 1 undergoes shipyard work
[1]The offshore facility is towed to a shipyard for improvements and repairs before returning to its original operating area.
- 2017
Ocean Farm 1 begins operation
[1]SalMar's offshore fish-farming pilot project starts operating off Frøya.
- 2007
Public listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange
[1]SalMar becomes a publicly listed company on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
- 1991
SalMar is founded
[1]SalMar is established in Norway and begins the corporate development that leads to its large-scale Atlantic salmon farming business.
Products and positioning
Large-scale Norwegian salmon producer with integrated farming, processing, international sales, and offshore-aquaculture development.
Aquaculture product
Farmed Atlantic salmon
SalMar's principal product is farmed Atlantic salmon raised in marine aquaculture facilities. The company manages production in multiple Norwegian regions and sells harvested salmon through domestic and international channels. The offering is primarily a business-to-business seafood product rather than a single standardized consumer-packaged brand.
Processed seafood
Processed salmon
SalMar's activities include processing and sale of farmed salmon after harvest. Processing enables the company to supply customers with salmon prepared for different commercial and food-service requirements, although the reference material does not specify a complete catalog of formats or branded product names.
Aquaculture inputs
Smolt and broodfish
The company participates in broodfish and smolt production, supplying earlier stages of the salmon farming cycle. These activities support SalMar's integrated production model by linking juvenile-fish production with marine grow-out operations.
Offshore aquaculture platform · 2017
Ocean Farm 1
Ocean Farm 1 is SalMar's offshore fish-farming pilot facility. The approximately 69-metre-high, 110-metre-wide structure has a stated volume of about 250,000 cubic metres and was designed to produce around 6,000 tonnes of salmon per year. It began operating in 2017 and underwent shipyard improvements and repairs in 2022.
Brand decisions
2022
Repair and improvement program for Ocean Farm 1OtherBackground
After operating offshore, the pilot facility required improvements and repairs.
Action taken
SalMar towed Ocean Farm 1 to a shipyard and later returned it to its original offshore location.
Aftermath
The facility resumed its role in SalMar's offshore aquaculture program.
2017
Launch of Ocean Farm 1Product launchBackground
SalMar pursued an offshore aquaculture pilot to test salmon production in a large structure located off the coast of Frøya.
Action taken
The company placed Ocean Farm 1 into operation as an offshore fish-farming facility.
Aftermath
The project became a central example of SalMar's interest in developing aquaculture beyond conventional coastal sites.
Recent events
Gustav Witzøe takes over as SalMar CEO[3]
Reported:
SalMar announced that Gustav Witzøe took over as CEO with immediate effect, while former CEO Olav Andreas Ervik became managing director of its new ocean-farming subsidiary, SalMar Ocean AS.
Sources3 sources
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