Norway launches consultation about offshore aquaculture
Proposals include requirement for competence requirements for applicants
Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has issued a consultation on changes to salmon regulations to facilitate offshore aquaculture.
The changes allow for the allocation of larger areas, along with an obligation to prepare a plan for the establishment, development, operation and closure of offshore aquaculture within the areas allocated.
“This will ensure biosecure and sustainable development of the areas opened up for the new activity. By allocating larger areas, we are also facilitating industrial development and laying the foundation for the establishment of infrastructure for offshore aquaculture,” said fisheries minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
The current regulations allow for the allocation of individual locations. The changes now proposed make it possible to allocate larger areas, which the actors will be responsible for developing with a more long-term perspective.
Biosecure operation
Within each area allocated, the actors must create comprehensive plans with good site structures, primarily to ensure biosecure operation of the areas.
“Offshore aquaculture is a great opportunity for sustainable food production in Norwegian sea areas, and it requires a great deal of regulatory development to facilitate this. The proposal is another milestone in this work, and I am very happy to be able to send new signals to the players who I know are working strategically and purposefully to participate in this new opportunity in our sea areas,” said Sivertsen Næss.
The government said the development of offshore aquaculture will require the establishment of a completely new infrastructure; from smolt production, wellboats or other dedicated vessels to service offshore operations, to suitable construction technology and transport of farmed fish.
Larger areas
By allocating larger areas, fish farmers are given the space to plan long-term for a step-by-step development, while at the same time the development must show that the projects are sustainable. This should be organised through an area plan where the actor must take into account all relevant regulatory requirements as the project matures.
Knowledge gained through the projects will be included in the plans and provide a basis for a good site structure which also takes into account coexistence with other activities in the sea. In this way, the area plans will provide a solid basis for dialogue and knowledge exchange with the authorities, and with other actors who operate at sea.
Necessary expertise
Because offshore aquaculture will require a high level of expertise, the consultation will propose some thematically overarching competence requirements that must be met before an actor can participate in the competition for the allocation of an area. The requirements will be further specified in the regulations that set out the rules for the competition.
The Ministry has started the study of an area allocation regulation, which will be the next milestone in the work on the allocation regulations for offshore aquaculture.
“The consultation is open to everyone and I hope we get a lot of good input from the consultation,” said Sivertsen Næss.
The consultation deadline is September 17, 2025.
