The Life Cycle of Salmon

We are often asked about the details of how exactly our salmon are reared. To give you a detailed insight into our salmon farm, we have summarised all the information about the rearing stages here.

Salmon egg hatches into salmon larva

Six times a year, 40,000 salmon eggs are flown in from Iceland. These are placed in the hatchery in Lostallo and hatch into salmon larvae after a few days. The salmon larvae have a yolk sac from which they obtain their food for 6 weeks. The salmon larvae are then transferred to a freshwater tank, where they are fed for the first time.

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Rearing up to a size of 100 g takes place in various large freshwater tanks and lasts 10 months. They are then transferred to brackish water tanks, a mixture of fresh and salt water, similar to estuaries in the sea.

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Gradual increase in the salt content of the water

During 2 months in brackish water, the salt content of the water is gradually increased. During this time, the skin changes colour to dark above and silver below. The young salmon also change organically and can now filter out salt water through their gills and kidneys. This process is called smoltification and is necessary to survive in salt water.

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Huge saltwater tanks with 2 rings

The salmon are then channelled from the brackish water tank into the large saltwater tank. The large saltwater tank has an inner and outer ring.

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Huge propellers ensure a good current. Salmon are migratory fish and love to swim against the current. The tank has a diameter of 32 m and a depth of 7 m.

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Purging and harvesting

Ideally, they reach a size of 3.5 to 4 kg after 24 months. The salmon are then transferred to the purging tank and spend a week in this freshwater tank without feeding. This feeding break calms the fish and improves their quality. In addition, the gastrointestinal tract is emptied during this time, which has hygienic advantages for fish processing.

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The salmon are electrically stunned for harvesting. They are therefore not conscious when they are killed with a targeted gill cut.

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Do you have any further questions about the rearing of our salmon?

SWISS LACHS stands for transparency. In all freshwater and saltwater tanks, the salmon are reared according to the highest sustainability and quality standards. These fish are free from hormones, antibiotics and other harmful chemicals. If you have any further questions about our salmon farm, please get in touch with us via our contact page. We look forward to answering your questions.