Several good options in growth light have become available. To compare practical use and results, SalMar will use different types of light throughout an entire growing season.

The right light is important for fish welfare and helps to ensure the quality of the fish. To compare the effect of different types of farming lamps, SalMar will install lamps from several suppliers and use them throughout next winter.

- The light has proven to be important for the fish's well-being and growth. We are careful about changing the lighting conditions, but we want to gain experience by using new solutions. Therefore, we are gradually moving forward and want to verify the effect of several different types of light, says technical manager Jørgen Holmen in SalMar Farming.

SalMar also wants to gain experience with technical quality and practical conditions of the various solutions. One of the variants you want to use consists of a chandelier that is lowered into the middle of the cage.

- Last year we tested a solution with a central chandelier in two cages, with good results. Now we will run the same program in 25 cages. We reckon that this will give us a basis for seeing if the different types of light have any effect on the quality of the fish. We arrange this in parallels, says Holmen.

An advantage of using a central light source is that operation becomes easier. In most work operations in a marine facility, you have to clear away lights and other equipment in advance and mount the lamp in place afterwards. With just one bright spot, this will be less labour intensive. Using only one light source will also be able to reduce costs. Lighting with many dots is the traditional solution.

- For us, the quality of the fish is the most important thing, but this has several sides, so after a large-scale comparison, we expect to be left with a conclusion that we can take with us further, says Holmen.

One of the suppliers in the experiment is Bio Marine, which will supply 25 central chandeliers in the form of an underwater LED luminaire of 2500 watts.

- Several facilities have already tried this throughout an entire season and we have received good feedback. The Institute of Marine Research in Bergen has made measurements of the amount of light at different distances from the chandelier, and we are pleased with the results. We ourselves are 100% confident in the quality and do not hesitate to recommend the light, we look forward to hearing about what SalMar will conclude with in the spring, says Svein Svengaard at Bio Marine.