“I like salmon best. Sometimes I like pollock, but not fish fingers,” says Sigurd Blindheim (8).
He and his little sister Johanna (6) are helping out as their mom and dad prepare a salmon dinner at home in Mjølkeråen, Bergen in Norway. On weekend trips, they go fishing as often as they can.
“I caught and gutted a fish!” shouts Johanna.
“So did I!” Sigurd replies confidently.
The whole family enjoys fish for dinner.
“We have one dinner rule: fish twice a week. It’s healthy and a super easy way to make dinner,” says dad Steinar, handing the kids a package of Lerøy salmon fillets to open.
“What do you think about the fish you’re eating?”
“We know it’s farmed salmon, and I’ve probably become a bit more skeptical over the years. You hear and read so many things about the aquaculture industry,” says Janne, as she slides the dish of salmon fillets into the oven.
“It would be nice to know more about how they actually treat the fish before it ends up on our plates.”
Near Lerøyna on Skjerholmen in Øygarden municipality lies one of Lerøy Seafood’s fish farms. This is also where the roots of the Lerøy Seafood Group can be traced. Back in the 1800s, fisherman-farmer Ole Mikkel Lerøen rowed to Bergen’s fish market and sold live fish from crates towed behind his boat.
He is the biology production manager at Lerøy and emphasizes that fish health and welfare are always top priorities.
“My job is to make sure the fish have the best possible living conditions throughout the production cycle. I work a lot with nutrition and optimal feeding and collaborate closely with a strong team here at Lerøy, including fish health biologists and veterinarians,” he says, adding:
What are the biggest myths about farmed salmon?
“That we use antibiotics in the feed and that the salmon is full of toxins. None of that is true. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority runs regular tests to make sure the salmon you eat is safe.”
He enters the control room. A bank of monitors displays crystal-clear images of the fish in their pens.
“Technology has made giant leaps in just a few years, making our work much easier,” he says.
Salmon like to swim in schools and have plenty of space. In a fish cage at sea, at least 98% is water and only 2% is fish.
How do you know if the fish are thriving?
“We can see they’re eating and growing. We also use advanced technology, like camera monitoring and image analysis, to closely track their behavior and appearance. This helps us spot any early signs of stress or illness, so we can take action quickly — like adjusting the feed.”
Sea lice remain a major challenge in the industry. Lerøy has invested NOK 1 billion in recent years in new technologies — including submerged fish cages and semi-closed systems.
“We use new methods to reduce the risk of lice exposure. On many fish farms, we shield the salmon by using submerged fish cages placed deeper in the water than traditional ones. By 2025, 50% of Lerøy’s salmon in Western and Central Norway will be raised in submerged or semi-closed systems.”
By avoiding traditional sea lice treatments, the fish experience less stress.
“That means they can spend their energy eating and growing. The goal is always to ensure the best possible welfare, which in turn gives the highest possible survival rate.”
What happens before the fish are moved to the sea? Mette Espedal Brynildsrud, a biologist at Lerøy, knows all about broodstock, roe, and juvenile fish.
“It starts with the broodstock. These are the parent fish of the salmon we eat. We select those with desirable traits like good health and resilience — the qualities we want to pass on to the next generation,” Brynildsrud explains.
Lerøy looks for fish that are resistant to disease, grow well, and are hardy in different conditions. They use advanced testing to find the very best candidates.
Once the roe hatches, Lerøy raises the juvenile fish in specially designed facilities. Here, conditions like water quality, temperature, and feed are carefully managed to give the salmon the best possible start in life.
Back in the Blindheim home, dinner is almost ready.
“What do you think about what Lerøy is doing for the salmon?”
“It’s great that they’re investing so much in fish health. It was also really reassuring to click through the Did You Know? section — we got answers to many of our questions there,” says Janne.
“One thing’s for sure: salmon tastes best when it’s had a good life.”
