Unusual neighborhood: trout and sturgeon are grown in waste water from the Kola NPP

A unique fish farm where trout is bred exists solely due to its unusual neighborhood. In the Murmansk region, on the discharge channel, which receives warm water from the Kola NPP, it has become possible to grow heat-loving species of fish in the conditions of the Arctic.

Lake trout is found in wild form in several reservoirs in the Murmansk region, including Lake Imandra, on the banks of which the Kola NPP is located. Due to its high nutritional and market value, this fish is often bred in fisheries. But, when it was decided to arrange a trout farm in the outlet channel of the Kola NPP, this caused some caution among specialists.

It turned out that the fish that are bred in the trout farm has a higher growth rate compared to their wild counterparts. Initially, experts associated this fact with the influence of radiation, but studies have refuted this version and proved that the fish is absolutely healthy and not contaminated with radiation. As it turned out, accelerated growth rates are associated with a higher temperature of the water in which the fish is contained. Every day, warm water is discharged into the drainage channel, which was used to cool the units of the Kola NPP reactors. Therefore, the reservoir where the farm is located does not freeze even in winter, and the water temperature there is always higher than in Lake Imandra itself. For this reason, the growth and development of fish is possible almost throughout the year, and not 3-4 months, as in natural conditions.

Fish grown in trout farms is sent for sale and, of course, is of great interest to regulatory authorities. But numerous inspections did not reveal any violations of the radiation background or any sanitary and epidemiological indicators. And the radiation background in the tap channel itself is in compliance with the standards.

About 50 tons of trout are annually grown at the fish farm, which undergoes a rigorous quality check and goes on sale, as well as consumed by the station’s employees themselves. But the fish breeders did not stop there and organized the cultivation of Siberian sturgeon. This species also liked the warm waters, which are never covered with ice.

Famous for the whole region, the farm is happy to be visited by travelers, and excursions are organized here. The king of Sweden once visited a unique farm, who was on a visit to the Murmansk region.