Havlandet Marin Yngel AS and Marine Breed AS, a subsidiary of AFGC, have signed a close industrial collaboration agreement. The agreement implies that MarineBreed is the sole provider of broodstock to HMY, which shall be one of maximum three main Norwegian producers of Marine Breed’s genetically improved cod eggs. 

Havlandet Marin Yngel (HMY) is a leading supplier of Atlantic cod fingerlings to the Norwegian cod farming industry. The company, established in 1999, has a target production of eight million fingerlings in 2006, expected to represent approx. 15 000 tons at harvest size. HMY is a subsidiary of Havlandet Havbruk in Florø, Sogn og Fjordane.

Marine Breed AS, a subsidiary of Akvaforsk Genetics Center (AFGC),  is the only commercial breeding company for marine fish species in Norway. The company has since 2002 operated a large scale family based breeding nucleus for Atlantic cod in Sunndalsøra, Møre og Romsdal, and offered genetically improved eggs from selected parents since 2004. MarineBreed’s main activities are in Sunndalsøra, Møre og Romsdal.

"This agreement ensures that HMY produces on the best available genetic material of Atlantic cod for aquaculture", says Halvard Hovland, managing director of Havlandet Marin Yngel. "We consider this agreement a milestone for the further development of cod aquaculture in Norway".

Managing director of MarineBreed, Tormod Spjøtvold, comments that the close collaboration between the two companies is essential for securing a stable delivery of cod eggs to fingerling producers nation wide. "We are very pleased that a leading producer like HMY choses Marine Breed as its strategic partner. The extended production system we now jointly build for supply of genetically improved cod eggs will represent a key player in Norway, and may also provide high quality genetic material for emeriging cod farming industries in other countries".