Marine salmon farm in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. The new Aquaculture Supervision Division will be responsible for monitoring fish farming along the entire Norwegian coast from Finnmark to Agder.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) announced that it is strengthening its efforts to improve fish health and welfare by reorganizing the aquaculture monitoring. As of September 1, it will establish a new Aquaculture Supervision Division to be headed by veterinarian Bård Skjelstad, who will take up his position on August 20.
Part of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's work is to ensure safe farmed fish and, according to the latest results of its monitoring program that looks for environmental contaminants, drug residues and illegal substances, the results are good. But, beyond food safety, it is also responsible for ensuring that aquaculture companies comply with their animal health and welfare obligations.
Thus, back in December, Mattilsynet warned that in 2024 it would investigate six of the country's largest aquaculture companies to monitor the welfare and health of their fish. So far, the audit reports of three of them - SalMar, Mowi, and Lerøy Seafood - are known, with results that included comments such as "non-conformities and points for improvement", "deviations" or "non-compliance with regulations".
Now, the Food Safety Authority goes further by establishing this new division that aims to improve its ability to monitor innovation and development, contribute to relevant regulation, and carry out effective risk-based control of the industry.
The Aquaculture Supervision Division will cover the monitoring of fish farming along the entire Norwegian coast from Finnmark to Agder. For this purpose, it will be organized into four departments: the Northern Department, the Southern Department, the Audit Methods and Analysis Department, and the Professional Support Department.
Bård Skjelstad will become Director of the new Aquaculture Supervision Division at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority on August, 20.
Heading the new division will be Bård Skjelstad. A veterinarian with nearly 30 years of experience in the aquaculture industry, he has also developed a long career as a leader, including 20 years of leadership experience in fish health services, research and development (R&D), roe and fry production, food fish production, and technology.
In that time, Skjelstad has led Aqualoop, been Director of Technology at Scale AQ, Biology and Nutrition Manager at SalMar, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Aquagen. In addition, the soon-to-be Director of the new Aquaculture Supervision Division at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has worked as a practicing veterinarian in fish health services, a project manager at VESO/Veterinary Institute, and a part-time researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
It is precisely this broad experience and expertise that Ingunn Midttun Godal, CEO of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, highlighted. "We look forward to having Bård Skjelstad on the Norwegian Food Safety Authority team, and we believe he will bring valuable experience and knowledge to our work in promoting a more sustainable aquaculture industry and addressing its challenges," she said.
Skjelstad, who will take up his new position on August 20 - a few days before the start of the new Aquaculture Supervision Division on September 1 - also commented on joining the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. "I have a strong commitment to sustainable food production from aquaculture," he said. "I am joining a strong team and look forward to contributing my experience."
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Mattilsynet, is a national government agency with a presence across Norway, contributing to ensuring safe food and drinking water for consumers. Its mission is to promote public, plant, fish, and animal health, environmentally friendly production, and ethically responsible care of fish and animals. It also has responsibilities regarding cosmetics and medicines and supervises animal health personnel.