3. Results
3.1. Full-scale experiment in sea-cages
The observed mean individual weights in the experimental cages increased throughout the experimental period, with end weights based on the final sample of 160 individuals in the cages reaching 878, 849 and 739 g respectively (Fig. 2). Growth curves for the two cages equipped with VAKI frames (cages 2 and 3) were more detailed and varied than the growth curve for cage 1. Cumulative mortality during the experiment was somewhat high, with mortality rates of 9% for cage 1, 6.5% for cage 2 and 7.5% for cage 3. In late June/early July 2012, an outbreak of Pancreas disease (PD) was registered at the ACE location. Although PD is known to have adverse effects on the survival and growth of salmon (McVicar, 1987), and thus was likely to have impacted fish performance in the last months of the study, this disease is common within the salmon industry and was suspected or observed at 137 salmonid sites in Norway in 2012 (Anon., 2012). The experiment was therefore continued despite the disease outbreak.