Iceland's new aquaculture law coming 'within a few days'

The new law will be considered in Iceland's parliament, the Althing, and will consolidate the regulation of several methods of fish farming into one common set of regulations.

"The bill will be presented to the Althing within the next few days," Iceland's trade and fisheries minister Hanna Katrin Fridriksson told Fish Farming Expert's Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no.

One unified law

The bill is intended to consolidate the regulation of several forms of farming into one common set of regulations.

"The purpose of the bill is to strengthen the legal framework for aquaculture and reduce negative environmental impacts by introducing incentives that provide a more predictable basis for sustainable value creation," explained the minister.

The new law will cover more forms of production than are used today.

"The bill proposes a comprehensive law that encompasses all forms of aquaculture, including cage-based farming in the sea, land-based farming, offshore farming and 'fjord grazing'," said Fridriksson.

Several of the changes are based on recommendations from Iceland's National Audit Office following a review of the management of cage-based aquaculture in 2023.

Stricter environmental requirements

For sea-based aquaculture, a number of measures related to the environment and biosecurity are proposed.

"Among the most important measures are stronger incentives for closed solutions and sterile salmon, expanded monitoring of rivers, and more risk-based management through biosecurity zones," the minister said.

The bill also contains new measures against escapes, sea lice, and mortality.

"It is proposed to handle escapes more quickly, tighten measures against sea lice and mortality, including through environmental fees, and stricter control of sexual maturation."

Submerged, land-based and offshore

Iceland also wants to facilitate the development of offshore aquaculture.

"Since offshore aquaculture is still at an early stage in Iceland, the bill establishes a regulatory framework for research and licensing to ensure predictability and legal clarity," the minister told Kyst.no.

The bill also opens up pilot projects with so-called fjord grazing.

"Fjord grazing is an experimental method where fish are kept in deep, closed cages and fed with natural zooplankton that are attracted to light. The bill is intended to provide a legal basis for such pilot projects, with the possibility of more detailed regulations in the future," said Fridriksson.

The bill also contains separate regulations for land-based farming.

"For land-based aquaculture, the bill introduces adapted regulations that take into account the special characteristics of this form of production, especially when it comes to permits, supervision, biosecurity and fish welfare," Fridriksson concluded.