Up to the formation of Nofima in 2007, AKVAFORSK had grown to a company with around 100 employees, an annual turnover of around NOK 90 million and activities covering more than 20 farmed species on every inhabited continent.
Founding
Even in the first laboratory experiments with rainbow trout, the scientists at NLH showed there were large genetic variations in growth that made it possible to breed a more productive fish.
For this to succeed, purpose-built research facilities were required.
In 1971, construction commenced on the Research station for fish at Sunndalsøra, followed in 1973 by the Research station for salmonids on the island of Averøy.
This was a major investment as the aquaculture industry at that time produced only 100 tonnes of salmon and 540 tonnes of rainbow trout.
AKVAFORSK also had scientists at Ås in connection with NLH, and in 1971 Ås became the head office for AKVAFORSK.
In order to finance the research and expansion of the research stations, AKVAFORSK engaged right from the start in the production of processed roe, smolts and edible fish.
Ownership
Norges Vel owned the station at Sunndalsøra up to 1979 when The Norwegian Agricultural Research Council (NLVF) took over the ownership of both stations.
In 1984, the Institute for Aquaculture Research (AKVAFORSK) was established, with NLVF as its owner.
When the Research Council of Norway was founded in 1992, AKVAFORSK was converted into a limited liability company and an independent research institute under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Research profile
In many ways, AKVAFORSK grew parallel with the aquaculture industry.
Through fundamental genetic studies, the foundation was laid for modern family-based breeding programmes with salmonids, which generated international attention.
After a while, this led to international engagements and AKVAFORSK became a pioneer in the development of breeding programmes.
AKVAFORSK commenced work at an early stage on studies of growth, the age of sexual maturity and the fish's resistance to diseases. The institute utilised challenge models to measure the fish's resistance to bacterial and viral diseases as well as infestations of lice.
Product quality has been a central research area in order to include the most important characteristics in breeding programmes.
AKVAFORSK also introduced research within the field of molecular biology at an early stage, including the development of techniques for production of gynogenes (only genes from the mother) and sterile tripoids. In recent times, studies concentrated on the effect of individual genes (QTL) and marker-assisted selection.
Feeding trials with salmon were started as early as 1972, and since that time AKVAFORSK has been a leader in developing modern feeds for salmonids.
In collaboration with the feed manufacturers, the development of feeds for sea-based farming of salmonids has been central.
In the late 1980s, AKVAFORSK commenced studies to find alternative feed sources for fish and initially studied single-cell protein and soya products. This work has become increasingly comprehensive as the availability of fishmeal and fish oils has reduced.
Education
From the very beginning of fish farming as a subject at NLH in 1973/74 to the establishment of a separate aquaculture programme for the degrees of B.Sc. and M.Sc., AKVAFORSK was a dominant player when it came to education and producing text books for aquaculture.
Over the years, AKVAFORSK's scientists have also acted as academic supervisors for dozens of PhD Research Fellows.
Innovation and commercialisation
Throughout its history, AKVAFORSK had limited finances, but despite this managed to implement ground-breaking research in new areas.
This required the development of new research instruments, which led to a high level of creativity among the staff.
Examples include the development of feed dispensers and robots, marking methods for fish, feed intake measurements and feed waste collection in cages and the building of repertory chambers.
In 1975, AKVAFORSK started family-based breeding programmes for Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout.
These breeding programmes have resulted in significant progress with growth, age of sexual maturity, disease resistance and product quality.
In 1992, Norsk Lakseavl AS (later Aqua Gen AS) was established and it took over the breeding station AKVAFORSK ran at Sunndalsøra.
From the late 1980s, AKVAFORSK had an increasingly international focus, particularly in Asia and America.
To ensure independent research to the greatest extent possible, projects attached to international breeding programmes were separated by establishing Akvaforsk Genetics Center AS (AFGC) in 1999.
The activities of AFGC now cover 15 species in 13 countries. AKVAFORSK played a central role in the establishment of the breeding company SalmoBreed AS in 2000 and the cod breeding company MarineBreed AS in 2002.
AKVAFORSK established an office in Chile in 2006 in collaboration with SINTEF and VESO and in 2007 established a company under the name of AVS Chile SA.
Into Nofima
In the autumn of 2004, the committee led by Finn Bergesen jr, which was appointed by the Ministries of Fisheries and Agriculture, presented its proposal to create a "blue-green" research group.
This was supported by the Norwegian government and parliament. In 2007, AKVAFORSK and Fiskeriforskning were merged and became part of the holding company Nofima.
Trygve Gjedrem described the history of AKVAFORSK is his 2007 book AKVAFORSK i nasjonal og internasjonal akvakultur (AKVAFORSK in national and international aquaculture).
Further information about this historical publication is available from Tove Fiksdal.
