Marianne Halse has joined the Board of Directors of Steen-Hansen Group AS, bringing with her over 25 years of experience in fish health and animal welfare. Marianne currently serves as the Director of Biology and Fish Health at Salmar Aker Ocean, previously working as Fish health Director for Salmar and Marianne was one of the founders of the fish health company Åkerblå. Her involvement contributed to Åkerblå's growth into one of Norway’s leading institutions for biological consulting and environmental certification. Marianne also holds a Master's degree in Aquamedicine from UiT.
"We are very pleased to have Marianne on our board of directors; her expertise and passionate commitment to fish welfare fit very well with the company's strategy. We find that the aquaculture industry is increasingly focusing on health challenges, and our contribution to knowledge, biosecurity, and biofouling prevention is very important to our customers. With her experience and biological understanding, Marianne will be able to challenge and guide us, which in turn creates improved solutions and hopefully even better animal welfare in fish farming," says Ulrik Ulriksen, CEO of Steen-Hansen.
In 2023, Steen-Hansen launched a special focus programme on animal welfare and biosecurity. The effort to gather knowledge and share experiences has been led by Brit Hjeltnes, who, along with researchers, veterinarians, and breeders, engaged in dialogue to find best practices. Through the prevention of biofouling and minimal disruptive interventions, the fish were better equipped to handle other challenges. This work will continue in 2024 with new workshops and other activities.