Norway seafood industry association calls for NOK 5 billion to accelerate sustainable feed

Norwegian seafood industry representatives are urging the government to allocate five billion kroner in the 2026 state budget to boost sustainable fish feed production.

The request was presented this week by Robert H. Eriksson, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Companies (Sjømatbedriftene), who said the sector needs stronger political support to accelerate the shift away from imported ingredients.

“We fully share the government's ambitions, but we are more impatient. More sustainable and Norwegian-produced feed raw materials are important for our food security. If we are to achieve the goals, we must speed up the process. From a security perspective, 2034 is too long, we must pick up the pace,” he said via a Norwegian language press release.

The industry group has set targets of ensuring that all fish feed comes from sustainable sources by 2030, with at least 25% of raw materials produced in Norway. At present, the domestic share is around 8%. The government has outlined similar ambitions in its social mission for sustainable feed, but its timeline extends to 2034.

According to Eriksson, dedicated funding in the 2026 budget could act as risk capital to support faster development of the sector. “We ask the government to earmark NOK 5 billion in the state budget for 2026 as risk capital. This will provide room for investments, industrialization and incentives that can make more sustainable feed profitable, both to produce and use,” he said.

Sjømatbedriftene says that a working group led by Edgar Skjervold of NutriMar has estimated that more than 300,000 tonnes of raw materials could be mobilised quickly to increase the share of Norwegian inputs in feed.

The issue was raised during this week's Aqua Nor trade fair, where the industry organisation said it planned to put pressure on politicians from across the political spectrum. “This is about food security, preparedness and new jobs along the coast. We need politicians who dare to step on the gas pedal,” Eriksson argued.

Industry representatives pointed to projects already under development, such as research and innovation programme AQUASIRI’s proposed alternative feed ingredients facility in Åfjord, Trøndelag. The company says production of protein-rich bristle worms there could yield up to 100,000 tonnes of feed ingredients while creating local jobs. The project has applied for research permits, but the application is still pending with the Norwegian authorities, Sjømatbedriftene said.

“Why should we import soy from Brazil when we can produce sustainable alternatives in Norway?” Eriksson asked.