Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
Photo: NFD.
Last Thursday, June 12, the report on the future of aquaculture in Norway was finally discussed in the Norwegian Parliament (Storting). As expected after the agreement reached earlier this month by most political parties, the agreed proposals again reached a large consensus, so the new regulation will take effect within 2 to 4 years
"With the majority's support for the main principles in the report, we are now showing a clear change of direction," the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans said in its release assessing the Storting agreement.
"It has been important for me to achieve broad political consensus on one of Norway's most important industries. That creates predictability and stability," stated Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss. Precisely this "predictability" was one of the reasons why Sjømat Norge, the largest Norwegian seafood industry organization, was satisfied with the agreement and agreed on its main elements.
Last April, it was Minister Sivertsen Næss herself who had presented the White Paper No. 24 'The Future of Aquaculture - Sustainable Growth and Food for the World', a report in which the Norwegian government pledged to move from quantity to sustainability.
After negotiations with the other parties, only the Green Party (MDG) and the far-left Red Party (Rodt) refused to sign, while the Conservatives (H), the Centre Party (Sp), the Progress Party (Frp), the Liberals (V), and the Socialist Left Party (SV) reached an agreement with the governing party, the Labor Party (Ap).
Now, the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans said in its statement that, with its proposal, the Labour Party's goal is "to facilitate the greatest possible overall value creation within sustainable frameworks from aquaculture."
"The aquaculture industry is too important not to be sustainable"
The Ministry also insisted that the environmental conditions along the coast and the high mortality rate among farmed fish show that there is a need for significant changes in the regulation of aquaculture, something Norwegian vets, who welcomed the "change of course" on fish welfare, agree on.
Thus, although, as in any negotiation, some points of the initial proposal fell by the wayside, the Norwegian government has now remarked that the broad agreement on the environmental objective and the target of reducing mortality to around 5% for all farmed species remains.
"We need to have increased individual incentives both to reduce environmental impact and to improve fish welfare. I am pleased that there is broad agreement on this. The aquaculture industry is too important not to be sustainable," continued Sivertsen Næss. "With this agreement, we are showing a clear change of direction. It is important for value creation, the coast, and the country."
As mentioned, the agreement reached in the Norwegian Parliament stipulates that the new regulation will come into force in 2 to 4 years. Until then, the Storting has asked the government to evaluate various models for future regulation of the aquaculture industry based on actual environmental impact and designed with individual incentives, including the model proposed by the government, the Aquaculture Committee's proposal, and the current framework.
Likewise, the resolutions now approved remind that these evaluations must be open to public consultation, and the choice of the regulation model will be submitted to the Storting for its final decision. Until that time, the current traffic light system will be maintained, and the Parliament has also asked the government to use the experiences gained in its evaluation to improve the basis for decisions and to support the development of the new regulation.
As said, the government has between two and four years to carry out all the tasks imposed on it by the Parliament, but before that, already by 2026, it must present an assessment on how sludge and other aquaculture waste streams can be integrated into a more circular economy, including possibilities for recycling, use in agriculture and energy, as well as the development of a national strategy for the circular economy in aquaculture.