NIDA and NASH held a seminar in Bergen, Norway, from 27 to 28 April 2026 under the theme “Unlocking Namibia’s Salmon Industry, an Opportunity to Industrialisation”. The seminar was a follow-up to the Namibian seminar held in Windhoek on 24 February 2026.
Bergen is considered the centre of the Salmon industry in Norway and is located on the country’s western coast, in the North Atlantic. The Namibian delegation comprised colleagues from the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA), Namibia Atlantic Salmon Holding (NASH), African Aquaculture Company (AAC), Omankete Fishing, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
NASH is actively developing a major Atlantic salmon farming project near Lüderitz, in partnership with NIDA and the AAC. This initiative aims to establish a local, competitive aquaculture industry through offshore net pens and land-based processing.
The first day of the seminar comprised visiting various locations and facilities across the industry’s value chain.
“An early morning trip to the industry’s Visitors’ Centre set the tone for the first day and enlightened us all on the historical, biological, social and commercial aspects of the industry. Thereafter, we made a ferry crossing to visit a freshwater smolt hatchery (baby salmon facility) and saw Salmon at various developmental stages, before they get transported to net pens in the ocean for the reminder of their life cycles. We then concluded the day with a boat ride to some net pens out in the ocean. There, we received a first-hand demonstration of the technology and latest fish farming methods in use,” said Inyemba Kamwi, Senior Consultant: Strategy and Projects at NIDA.
The following day saw the formal Norway leg of the seminar taking place, with various Norwegian industry heavy weights in attendance. Relevant and very informative presentations were made by industry leaders and experts.
“We are therefore grateful to our partners at NASH and AAC for the hospitality extended in Norway, as well as the informative and thought-provoking demonstrations and discussions held,” Kamwi added.
At the conclusion of the seminar, NIDA and NASH signed a share underwriting agreement, as the next step from the heads of agreement document signed in Windhoek, in December 2025.
The Norway seminar was therefore a resounding success and is another step in the positive development of the nascent Salmon industry in Namibia.