In Fiskey's spawning station in Dalvík the spawning of fish is controlled by means of photoperiod manipulation which provides access to eggs during three seasons of the year instead of one. Subsequently the eggs are transported to Fiskey's hatchery at Hjalteyri in Eyjafjörður. When the juveniles weigh 5-10 grams, approximately six months after spawning, they are transferred to the company's growout station in Þorlákshöfn or to customers abroad.

Fiskey has been the largest individual producer of halibut juveniles on a global scale since 1998. In 2002 the company produced 420 thousand halibut juveniles and 750 thousand juveniles in 2003. It is expected that about 700.000-900.000 juveniles will be produced in 2004. A large part of the production is sold onwards to growout stations abroad and part of it is transferred to the company's growout station in Þorlákshöfn.

The production of halibut juveniles has been the main obstacle in the development of halibut farming world wide. Fiskey's production has been on the increase as shown in the table below:

The production of halibut juveniles requires a high standard of precision and stability in work procedures, equipment and all aspects of planning and organisation. Fiskey controls the spawning period of breeding halibut with special technology, feed animals which are used in the first stages of growth are cultivated locally, seawater temperatures are controlled and highly sophisicated seawater purification equipment is used to ensure a stable environment for these delicate organisms, through development stages from eggs to juveniles. The production process may be divided into five stages:

Spawning fish - egg collection
The company operates a spawning station in Dalvík where the spawning period of breeding fish has been altered and controlled by light manipulation. Thus a more even supply of eggs is achieved on a yearly basis and there is a high level of reliability in the production and delivery of juveniles. Halibut are stripped to obtain eggs and milt, having been separated into three seasonal spawning groups during the year, i.e. winter, spring and autumn. Subsequently, eggs and milt are transferred to Fiskey's hatchery in Hjalteyri the production of juvniles is carried out.

The egg incubation stage
After the eggs have been fertilised by mixing them with the milt, they are placed in tanks at a temperature of 5.5°C. Gentle aeration is used to ensure that the eggs are efficiently distributed in the tanks and they are kept in the dark for natural development. After 14 days in the tanks, the eggs are transferred to silos, where they hatch.

Yolc-sac larvae
In the hatchery at Hjalteyri, the eggs are transferred from the egg incubators into 12 10 thousand m³ silos. Approximately 24 hours after the transfer, a larva is hatched from the egg; which measures about 7 mm in length, a delicate and immature organism. The larvae use the nutrition in the yolc-sac for growth and development. The larvae remain in the silo for about 50 days and then they are ready to feed on their own.

The first feeding
Larvae are transferred from the silos to first feeding tanks. Their digestive system is highly primitive and undeveloped. They are not able to digest formulated feed and have to be fed on live feed animals. In natural conditions, the larvae feed on zooplankton, but in aquaculture brine shrimp (Artemia) is cultivated by the company and used to feed the larvae.

After 50 days in the first feeding tanks, the larvae metamorphose and turn into juveniles. The eyes are both on the same side and the juveniles acquire a dark colour of one side, move down to the bottom and are ready to eat and digest dry feed.

Juveniles
The juveniles are weaned onto dry feed when they weigh about 0.3 grams. After about two months the juvenile weighs about 5 grams. By this time it is ready for transfer to Fiskey's growout station in Þorlákshöfn or to the company's customers abroad. The entire process from eggs to juvenile takes approximately six months.