At every stage of our salmon’s life, we are attentive to the fish’s well-being and its relationship with the surrounding environment. How we raise our fish has a direct impact on the health of the local ecosystem.

Hatchery

Our Atlantic Salmon are raised and harvested entirely on site at our farm. The broodstock—the source of our salmon eggs—is kept in self-contained tanks, rather than streams or lakes, so the fish are never in direct contact with local water sources. None of our smolts comes from lakes or open-flow systems.

Our tanks use only 1% of the water used by traditional flow-through systems to produce the same amount of fish. The water is continuously re-circulated to capture waste and ensure freshness. We carefully control environmental variables like temperature, oxygen, and pH level to create an ideal habitat for the fish.

These controlled conditions also enhance the preparation of the fish for the next step in their life cycle: sea water.

Maturing Salmon

We sow our smolts during the salt-water phase of their development, at four fish per ton of water. Our plan is to have a maximum of 12kg of fish per ton of water, which might vary depending on the growth rate of the fish. The limit we impose on ourselves is superior to industry standards. The fish have more room to swim and thrive, which reduces the stress on them and helps ensure their health and vitality. The growing salmon are continuously monitored by trained personnel who are committed to maintaining Verlasso’s harmonious standards.

We never use antibiotics preventatively, but if a fish becomes sick, its wellbeing is of the utmost importance. In these cases, the salmon is treated as minimally as possible under the supervision of a veterinarian. We also do not use hormones to raise our salmon.

Harvest

The salmon are harvested earlier than the industry standard. By harvesting the fish at a younger average age, we further reduce the chance for disease associated with older fish, which in turn reduces our dependence on antibiotics.

The harvesting process is as humane as possible to reduce trauma—and preserve their quality and flavor of the fish. They’re filleted and shipped within 24 hours to ensure peak freshness. At Verlasso, we control every aspect of our salmon’s life cycle and take pride in being able to track every moment of their development, from egg to fillet.