The salmon farming giant Marine Harvest is rebranding as Mowi, a name that pays homage to Thor Mowinckel, one of the companyB次元官网网址檚 founders.

But relatives of the companyB次元官网网址檚 namesake objected to the name change on Tuesday, raising criticisms of open-net pen aquaculture.

The new moniker comes into effect as of Jan. 1, 2019, according to Jeremy Dunn, the director of public affairs for the companyB次元官网网址檚 Canadian subsidiary.

Shareholders approved the switch at a special assembly that took place on Tuesday in Bergen, Norway, where the multinational seafood company is based.

The rebranding effort applies to all worldwide business units of the Marine Harvest Group, which describes itself as the B次元官网网址渨orldB次元官网网址檚 largest producer of farmed salmon, both by volume and revenue.B次元官网网址�

It comes as the company prepares to launch a new line of Mowi-branded products. A statement from the company in November said the Mowi brand will B次元官网网址渃ommunicate our integrated value-chain from feed to the consumerB次元官网网址檚 plate.B次元官网网址�

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The Marine Harvest brand has been present in B.C. for more than a decade, Dunn said. In 2006, the company was taken over by Pan Fish, and it rebranded as Marine Harvest the following year.

The new brand is based on the surname of Thor Mowinckel, one of the founders of the company.

B次元官网网址淭hor Mowinckel was a pioneer in salmon smolt production in the late 60s and was a founder of Mowi,B次元官网网址� said Dunn. B次元官网网址淭he name was so significant that we also named the high-quality salmon breed our business was built on after it, the distinctive Mowi breed of salmon.B次元官网网址�

Mowinckel served as the companyB次元官网网址檚 CEO after entrepreneur and product developer Johan L忙rum experimented with fish farming in Norway in the 1960s, according to the companyB次元官网网址檚 2017 annual report.

The name change was met with controversy on Tuesday, as a relative of Thor Mowinckel raised objections about the industry.

Frederik W. Mowinckel said on Twitter that members of the Mowinckel family were at the companyB次元官网网址檚 assembly B次元官网网址� called an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) B次元官网网址� to protest the name change.

NO to MOWI. Members of the Mowinckel family have at the EGM today voted against Marine HarvestB次元官网网址檚 plans to change its name to MOWI. We do not wish be associated with what we consider an unsustainable way of farming salmon. Completely closed farms is the only way forward.

B次元官网网址� Frederik W Mowinckel (@FWMowinckel)

B次元官网网址淢embers of the Mowinckel family have at the EGM today voted against Marine HarvestB次元官网网址檚 plans to change its name to MOWI,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e do not wish be associated with what we consider an unsustainable way of farming salmon.B次元官网网址�

He also called for a transition to closed containment salmon farming, saying that B次元官网网址淸c]ompletely closed farms is the only way forward.B次元官网网址�

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