Food safety watchdog withdraws approval for offshore fish farm site
Inaccessibility of SalMar semi-offshore pen led to significant violations of regulations related to fish welfare, animal health, and biosecurity, says Mattilsynet
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) has withdrawn its approval for a semi-offshore fish farming site operated by the world’s second-largest Atlantic salmon farmer, SalMar, reports Fish Farming Expert's Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no.
Arctic Offshore Farming, now part of SalMar's offshore division, SalMar Ocean, was granted a permit for the Fellesholmen site in 2018, but Mattilsynet has pulled the plug because of what it says are significant violations of regulations related to fish welfare, animal health and biosecurity.
“The construction of the facility and its exposed location have made the facility inaccessible for up to three months. Necessary handling of fish, delousing and slaughtering have not been possible,” it announced on Thursday evening.
Escape incident
The farm’s operators have also previously been criticised for an escape incident at Fellesholmen location on November 19, 2024, when tears were found in a pen's inner and outer nets. The Directorate of Fisheries determined that preparedness was not sufficient.
Mattilsynet believes that the company has not been able to provide sufficient guarantees that the serious deficiencies related to operations and emergency preparedness will be rectified. It also believes that proposed system improvements will not be sufficient.
SalMar has the right to appeal Mattilsynet’s decision.
Two units
SalMar Ocean has two semi-offshore units: Arctic Offshore Farming in northern Norway, and Ocean Farm 1 in central Norway. Harvest from both semi-offshore units was completed early in the second quarter of this year. The units delivered a combined volume of 1,200 tonnes of fish in each of the first two quarters.
Smolts were stocked in Ocean Farm 1 in Q2 2024, and in Arctic Offshore Farming in Q3 2024.
In its report for the second quarter of 2025, SalMar said that, as expected, harvest from Arctic Offshore Farming had a low average weight. Ocean Farm 1 delivered very good biological results.
SmoIts were stocked in Ocean Farm 1 in August 2025. The next smolt transfer in Arctic Offshore Farming was planned to be later because of the need to replace the net.
