Pictured: a fish farm outside Senja.
Photo: Kristin Bjørklund / The Norwegian Veterinary Association
The Norwegian Veterinary Association (Den norske veterinærforening) has announced it has adopted a political position on the regulation of the aquaculture industry, prepared by the Norwegian Association of Aquaculture Veterinarians (AVF).
The Association, which argues that the industry needs to make fish welfare a top priority, and says the regulatory framework "must ensure the status of fish as production animals and contribute to better welfare for the fish".
"AVF is convinced that the biological challenges are best solved through a motivated industry, via rewarding the most skilled farmers - 'Growth through welfare'. This will help ensure that important issues such as biosecurity, healthy smolt production and risk-taking are put on the agenda and given the necessary priority," said AVF leader Aoife M. Westgård, in a Norwegian language press release.
Key to the Association's proposal is a "growth through welfare" approach, where permits for increased production, both on land and water, would only be issued for operators who can document good welfare.
In the full political position document, the association proposes two key criteria which must be met to trigger growth incentives, firstly that the operator's mortality level must be among the lowest 25% within a production area, and secondly that it has produced a high proportion of superior-quality fish in two production cycles.
The association also calls for greater consequences for fish farmers who commit serious violations of Norway's Animal Welfare Act, and proposes that operators with a track record of high mortality and poor welfare, including for cleaner fish, should have their production permit reduced.
The Veterinary Association also underlined the status of fish as farm animals, noting that Norway's Animal Welfare Act "applies in its entireity to fish", and argued that fish welfare should be considered a crucial part of sustainability indicators.
Further factors highlighted by the association include the need for improvements to biosecurity, given that most mortality and welfare problems are caused by disease and sea lice, and ensuring "health-promoting" breeding and hatchery conditions, stating that "basic biosecurity principles must be followed at all levels to achieve healthier fish."
"The 2023 Animal Health Report indicates that Norway’s overall animal health and welfare are considered very good, whereas the Fish Health Report shows the opposite. This is not sustainable," the Association states in its political position document.
"Fish welfare must be given a clear and practical political framework for the industry to achieve its established goals," it concludes.
David Persson, President of the Veterinary Association.
"This is a clear and professionally grounded position from the Veterinary Association. We are committed to putting fish at the forefront of the industry's development, and the time for that is now!" said David Persson, President of the Veterinary Association.
"A new aquaculture report will soon be released, and we are working to ensure that future framework conditions for production will lead to an improvement in the welfare of our most numerous production animal. Salmon is important to Norway, and must be treated with respect," Persson added.
The full position document can be viewed here: Political stance: Regulation of the aquaculture industry (PDF).