Aoife M. Westgård, leader of the Norwegian Association of Aquaculture Veterinarians, president David Persson and veterinary specialist Hulda Bysheim of the Norwegian Veterinary Association on their way to the hearing at the Storting.
Photo: Frauke Becher / The Norwegian Veterinary Association.
The Norwegian Veterinary Association (Den norske veterinærforening) and the Norwegian Association of Aquaculture Veterinarians (AVF) delivered a strong message during yesterday's parliamentary hearing on the Norwegian government's recently published Aquaculture Report: fish welfare must be prioritized alongside economic and environmental concerns.
Speaking before the Storting’s Industry Committee, both organizations urged lawmakers to implement stricter regulatory frameworks to ensure poor fish welfare is not economically viable for operators, and reiterated their call for "concrete measures that reward good welfare and low mortality".
“We need regulations that put fish welfare first – not last,” said David Persson, President of the Norwegian Veterinary Association. He criticized the proposed low fee on fish mortality as insufficient, stating that “mortality cannot be something you buy yourself out of and plan for.”
The AVF also pushed for performance-based incentives to encourage higher welfare standards and to meet the government's proposed target of 5% mortality.
"Growth in the industry must happen through welfare. We must reward those farmers who succeed in ensuring good fish health and welfare, and set demands on those who do not," said Aoife M. Westgård, AVF leader.
Both associations expressed concern that the expansion of technology and increasing biomass in Norway's aquaculture sector could undermine fish health if not properly regulated. They emphasized that voluntary cooperation in farming zones is inadequate and called on the Storting to implement binding regulations that promote animal welfare.
The appeal comes as the industry faces increased scrutiny over sustainability practices, with mortality rates and welfare conditions remaining key points of debate in regulatory development.
While overall mortality in 2024 declined slightly compared to 2023 - a crisis year, when Norway recorded its highest-ever mortality rate for sea phase salmon - veterinary experts warn that serious fish health and welfare challenges persist in the country's aquaculture sector. In March, the Norwegian Veterinary Association released its 2024 Fish Health report revealing an estimated overall mortality for farmed salmon in the sea phase of 15.4%, down from 16.7% in 2023.