Akvaforsk Genetics is a leading commercial provider of genetic improvement services to aquaculture industries worldwide, with extensive experience from design and operation large scale selection programs across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The company was established in the late ‘90s. Akvaforsk Genetics has designed or serviced cost effective selection programmes covering most major farmed aquaculture species including salmonids, seabream, seabass, turbot, Atlantic cod, tilapias, carps, and marine shrimp (L. vannamei, P. monodon and P.chinensis). Akvaforsk Genetics was acquired by the Benchmark Holdings (www.benchmarkplc.com) in July 2015. This allowed the company to further strengthen its capacity and capabilities, and to secure its position as a one-stop genetic service provider to the global aquaculture industries. The Benchmark Group uniquely combines world leading expertise and operations across Genetics, Advanced Nutrition (through INVE Aquaculture) and Animal Health through the FishVet Group), all areas critical for development of sustainable aquaculture operations. Also INVE Aquaculture is a company partner in AquaIMPACT, working on the fish nutrition.
Akvaforsk Genetics’ services cover all aspects of applied genetic work related to program design, implementation and technical operations including genetic analysis, breeding value estimations, mating plans, inbreeding control, documentation of genetic gains, and more. As of January 2018, Akvaforsk Genetics’ technical staff consist of 10 highly skilled experts (seven with PhDs in animal breeding or relevant fields) providing services and running relevant R&D. In AquaIMPACT, Akvaforsk Genetics is a leader of WP3 ‘Impact on industry profit, environmental, and investing in future’.
Mowi, previously known as Marine Harvest is the world’s leading seafood company and largest producer of farmed salmon and is fully integrated in the value chain from breeding to feed to value added products. The company employs 12,717 people, and is represented in 24 countries. In 2016 harvest volumes of salmon was 381 000 tonnes (GWE). In 2016, the company had a turnover of EUR 3.6 billion and is listed on the Oslo Stock exchange.
Mowi supplies healthy and sustainably farmed salmon and processed seafood to more than 70 markets worldwide. The company is present and trusted in all major salmon farming regions in the world: Norway, Scotland, Chile, Canada, Ireland and Faroe Islands. In AquaIMPACT, Mowi works on innovations for genomics and feed development.