SalMar farming site in Central Norway.
Photo: SalMar.
SalMar has received approval from Norwegian authorities to convert a set of development licences linked to its Arctic Ocean Farming venture into standard aquaculture licences, allowing the capacity to be counted as part of the company’s regular production.
In a market announcement on 13 March, the company said it had been notified by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries that development licences corresponding to 6,112 tonnes of maximum allowable biomass (MAB) can now be converted into ordinary licences.
SalMar said it "views the decision positively," arguing that "it implies that the authorities consider the criteria for the allocation of these licenses to have been fulfilled."
"For SalMar, this represents a recognition of the company's significant investments and the expertise that has been built up within offshore aquaculture," the company stated.
A separate announcement of the decision published by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries shows that the approval applies to eight development permits held by Arctic Offshore Farming. Before the licences can be used commercially, however, the company must apply to have them allocated to one or more production areas and then seek clearance from the relevant local authorities.
The company will also need to pay a fee of NOK 130,320,784 (€11.3 million / $12.3 million), covering the standard conversion fee, adjusted for inflation, as well as payments related to capacity increases purchased in 2020 and 2024, the Directorate stated the Norwegian language decision published on its website.
The licence conversion comes a few months after Norway's aquaculture regulator withdrew operating permission for Arctic Offshore Farming's semi-offshore Fellesholmen site. In December 2025, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Mattilsynet, said it was revoking the site’s sector approval from January 2026 onwards, based on “significant violations of regulations related to fish welfare, animal health and biosecurity”.
In its conversion decision, however, the Directorate of Fisheries indicated Mattilsynet's decision did not affect its separate assessment regarding conversion of the licences, stating it had determined there was "no basis for placing weight on the Food Safety Authority’s decision to withdraw the sector approval for the Fellesholmen site".
The Directorate determined Arctic Offshore Farming had “fulfilled all of the target criteria” set for the development licences, and that these “can therefore be converted into ordinary licences for food-fish aquaculture” which could be linked to new sites.
Arctic Offshore Farming was originally developed by Norway Royal Salmon and Aker, which applied for development licences in 2016. Norwegian authorities ultimately granted eight development permits in 2018 and. Following SalMar’s merger with Norway Royal Salmon in 2022, Arctic Offshore Farming came under the ownership of SalMar Aker Ocean, before SalMar took full control of the joint venture in 2025 by purchasing Aker’s remaining 15% stake for NOK 650 million.