Norway's Cermaq to acquire Peruvian fishmeal firm for $600 mln

* Cermaq gets supply of food for its farmed salmon

* Secures over 50 pct stake and launches offer for rest

* Plans 1.6 bln crown share issue to help finance deal

* Cermaq shares down 2.5 pct, Copeinca shares up 3.8 pct

OSLO, April 5 (Reuters) - Norwegian fish farmer Cermaq agreed to take over Copeinca, a Peruvian producer of fishmeal and fish oil, beating out China Fishery Group with a bid that values the firm at $600 million.

Cermaq, which already owns 17.9 percent of Copeinca, signed deals to raise its stake to over 50 percent and launched a bid on Friday for all outstanding shares to obtain a supply of food for its farmed salmon and develop its fish oil business.

Oil from fatty fish is used to feed farmed fish and as a health supplement. Fishmeal, made from fish and the bones and offal from processed fish, is also used to feed farmed fish as well as poultry, pigs and pets.

Cermaq is offering 59.70 crowns per share for all remaining stock in Copeinca, valuing the company at 3.49 billion crowns ($601.6 million), exceeding China Fishery Group's 53.85 crown bid.

It said it would finance the transaction partly through a 1.6 billion crown share issue, which it aims to complete by June.

Copeinca's Oslo-listed shares rose 3.75 percent to 62.25 crowns on Friday, indicating expectations for a higher offer than Cermaq's 59.70 crowns.

Cermaq is already assured control, however, after gaining irrevocable commitments from several shareholders, it said.

Shares in Cermaq were down 2.48 percent at 0916 GMT on the news of the planned share issue, underperforming a 0.51 percent drop in the Oslo benchmark index.

($1 = 5.8042 Norwegian kroner)

(editing by Jane Baird)