Norway will allocate larger areas for offshore fish farming
The world’s biggest salmon farming nation, Norway, has made changes to its salmon allocation regulations that allow for larger areas to be allocated for offshore aquaculture.
Norway is changing to an area-based approach, instead of allocating individual locations.
The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries said the change was requied because offshore operations require larger areas and infection-proof zones from the start. Whoever is allocated an area is given responsibility for developing it, preparing an area plan and carrying out an impact assessment that covers the entire area. The plan is intended to ensure biosecurity and prevent infection between release zones.
Better predictability
The changes also give operators better predictability for planning and building necessary infrastructure such as transport, service and smolt production. This requires major investments, and the regulations will help to develop offshore aquaculture into a profitable industry.
Fisheries and oceans minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss said: “Offshore aquaculture is a major boost, and we must choose the most competent actors. Therefore, we are introducing competence requirements, which will be specified in a separate regulation together with call areas and competition requirements. We are also developing requirements for the content of the area plan.”
Following a consultation, the ministry has amended a proposed requirement for two levels of impact assessments, at area level and at each location. The regulations now require one project-specific impact assessment that covers the entire area. This means that detailed information is mapped and collected at an earlier stage.
