Aquaculture Glossary

Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) is caused by the amoeba Neoparamoeba perurans and is an increasing challenge in Norwegian salmon farming.

Biomass in an aquaculture context refers to the total weight of living fish at a farm site, usually measured in tonnes.

Fallowing is the practice of leaving a farm site empty (without fish) for a period, typically 2-4 months, between production cycles.

Cardiomyopathy Syndrome (CMS) is a cardiac disease of Atlantic salmon caused by piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV).

The export value of Norwegian salmon is a key indicator of the industry's economic significance.

The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) is the ratio between the amount of feed used and the amount of fish growth achieved.

The floating collar is the buoyant ring that holds the net bag at the water surface and forms the frame of the net pen.

A feed barge is a floating platform or pontoon that serves as the operations centre at a fish farm.

Generation shift in aquaculture refers to the transition between two production cycles at a site, where one generation of fish is harvested and a new generation of smolt is stocked.

The resource rent tax on aquaculture was introduced from 2023 and is a special tax on profits from salmon farming.

Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) is a viral disease of Atlantic salmon caused by piscine orthoreovirus (PRV-1).

Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) is a serious viral disease affecting Atlantic salmon.

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the most important farmed species in Norway, accounting for over 90% of Norwegian aquaculture production.

Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) is a parasitic copepod that lives on salmonid fish.

The lice limit is the maximum permitted number of adult female lice per fish in Norwegian fish farms.

The salmon price is the market price for fresh Atlantic salmon, usually quoted in Norwegian kroner per kilogram (NOK/kg).

Maximum Allowed Biomass (MTB) is the upper limit for how much living fish (measured in tonnes) a farming operation can have in the sea at any given time.

A net pen (also called cage) is the main structure in sea-based salmon farming.

Pancreas Disease (PD) is a viral disease caused by salmonid alphavirus (SAV).

Production areas are the 13 geographic zones along the Norwegian coast used to regulate salmon farming through the Traffic Light System.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is the second most important farmed species in Norway.

Cleaner fish is a collective term for fish used as biological delousing agents in salmon farming, primarily ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) and lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus).

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) is a round, lumpy fish used as a biological delousing agent in salmon farming.

ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) is a remotely controlled underwater vehicle used for inspection and maintenance of net pens in the aquaculture industry.

Smolt is the term for young salmon or trout that has undergone smoltification, a physiological adaptation process that enables the fish to live in seawater.

The spot price is the price for immediate delivery of salmon, as opposed to contract prices agreed for future delivery.

Seafood Norway (formerly the Norwegian Seafood Federation, FHL) is the industry organization for the Norwegian seafood sector.

The Traffic Light System is a regulatory tool introduced in 2017 to manage growth in Norwegian salmon farming based on environmental impact.