dc.description.abstract | Norwegian aquaculture is in a state of sustainable challenges that much be solved regarding
traditional open net-pen production infrastructure. The Norwegian aquaculture industry currently
finds itself in a state of sustainable challenges with the primary traditional open net-pen production
infrastructure. These challenges have led to the stagnant production of salmon in recent years and
rising production costs, even with the growing demand for protein-rich salmon. The government
wants to invest in the aquaculture industry by increasing production by 2050 and increasing value
creation in Norway. This has led to the radical technological development of land-based closed
containment systems and sea-based semi-closed containment systems to potentially solve the
environmental and biological challenges faced in the industry. Moreover, this phenomenon has
spurred the government to develop aquaculture permits intended to promote these technological
production initiatives.
In this thesis, we seek to discover “What economic benefits does society achieve by basing further
growth on technology for closed facilities?” We achieve this through using an exploratory
qualitative method. This thesis is considered a comparative case study where the purpose is to
provide a basis for assessing the role of two types of closed-cage technologies and how it can play
in further growth and development in Norwegian aquaculture. To answer the research question,
we have collected primary data through qualitative interviews with Tytlandsvik Aqua and
FishGLOBE, representing their respective closed technologies. Secondary data was collected
through archival and documentary research from various research reports, news articles, et cetera.
Based on our qualitative research methods, we have conducted a cost-benefit analysis, production
cost calculations and sensitivity analysis to compare the closed-cage technologies against each
other.
The results show that there are advantages and disadvantages with both technologies, and it is
challenging to control microbial and chemical water quality. Findings indicate that land-based
facilities are more expensive than semi-closed facilities, mainly due to various factors. Common
to both technologies is that they can solve the problem related to lice and diseases and reduce the
climate footprint. The technologies can thus lead to sustainable production growth while reducing
environmental challenges. Furthermore, we discuss the implication of potential repercussions
closed technologies can have on society. An increased production volume and implementation can
boost the export industry to meet global demand and increase employment. Although the biggest
obstacle to closed-cage implementation is the high capital cost, several environmental trade-offs
are discussed, compensating for the high investment. Finally, findings imply fostering innovation
and research and development for closed-cage technology to develop to its full potential. Today,
combining both closed-cage and traditional open net-pen will be a potential solution, as it will only
be a supplement to current production. | |