"The Egg" is being constructed at Herde Kompositt in Ølve. Here, Cato Lyngøy is in conversation with Krister Hoaas, regional manager of aquaculture in the West.
Representatives of the Norwegian Seafood Federation (Sjømat Norge) have met with the State Secretary Even Tronstad Sagebakken to request for the "urgent" implementation of an environmental flexibility scheme.
Regarding Jon Arne Grøttum, Director of Aquaculture at Sjømat Norge, there is a lack of investors willing to promote new technological solutions due to the uncertainty of the framework conditions.
As a result of this, he clarified that is convenient to have a comprehensive aquaculture report consensus in parliament which does not become obsolete.
However, he alerted: "If we wait for a potential clarification of an environmental flexibility scheme in a parliamentary report, we risk missing the train. We need strong incentives for new technology to be implemented now."
This waiting can translate into the decline of many businesses that have invested in the development of new production technology and expertise.
The implementation of the environmental technology scheme has been on hold since 2021. According to Sjømat Norge, the Aquaculture Committee proposed a separate environmental flexibility scheme and a different one so aquaculture companies could produce the lost reduction volume in new technology that does not affect wild salmon.
Consequently, Grøttum indicated: "Our view is that it's necessary to have parallel processes alongside the work on a new parliamentary report on the entire aquaculture licensing system. Therefore, we have proposed a separate process for the environmental flexibility scheme."
"The proposal involves necessary regulatory changes so that regular permits can be converted to low-emission technology and new production methods," he added.
'The Egg' farm is a facility that provides a new solution to some of the salmon industry's most important problems; salmon lice, escapes, pollution, and area efficiency.
The technology developer of 'The Egg', Ovum, formerly known as Hauge Aqua Solutions, has suffered the consequences of these delays.
"We find that many aquaculturists are interested in 'The Egg', but they are waiting for clarification regarding the environmental flexibility scheme. Such a scheme would be the quickest route to better fish health and less environmental impact for many locations. We and other suppliers working on low-emission technology need prompt clarification from the Minister of Fisheries," denounced Cato Lyngøy, CEO of Ovum.
