While we focus on sea lice skirts, we will also invest in circular equipment. We are confident that we have a place in the market, especially if we manage to offer a more sustainable product, says Nils Hovden, Marketing Manager at Bio Marine, in a press release.

In April, they announced the construction of a new factory for sea lice skirts in Lithuania. The investment in the production of sea lice skirts is part of Bio Marine's long-term strategy to offer comprehensive solutions for the aquaculture industry.

Overall, the goal is to promote sustainable and efficient aquaculture practices – with a focus on fish welfare and ocean health.

Recycling and Reuse

Therefore, it is a unique opportunity to also offer a more sustainable alternative. Through recycling and reuse, our sea lice skirts will be one of the most sustainable options for the industry, which is very concerned with making good choices, including when choosing equipment, says Hovden, noting that companies like Mowi have a goal of 100 percent material recycling.

Our contribution must therefore be to create equipment that is easier to recycle, use recycled materials ourselves, and at the same time ensure that the equipment enters the cycle on the other side, even though our responsibility, in a sense, ends when we send it off, says Hovden, who assures that reuse and upcycling do not affect biosecurity and are otherwise equivalent to using new materials.

"That is also the most important requirement, of course, in this industry. That equipment maintains the same high and crucial quality even if it is to be reused."

More Collaboration

One of several Norwegian companies already present in Lithuania is the recycling company Nofir, which collects and recycles fishing and aquaculture equipment, mainly from Norway. The company has repeatedly called for more collaboration in the value chain for equipment – and firmly believes that the aquaculture industry can make great strides and become a leader in the circular economy.