Norway to speed up shift to closed containment aquaculture with new incentive scheme

The Norwegian government is introducing a new incentive scheme designed to speed up the shift towards closed containment aquaculture.

The policy, announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, gives fish farmers a chance to regain production capacity lost through the traffic light system, as long as the fish are raised in closed systems that meet specific environmental standards.

Norway's Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss described the move as an important step towards a more sustainable production model for the country's aquaculture industry.

“The arrangement will contribute to the development of new production methods with lower environmental impact than today’s open pens. I hope this scheme can be the first step towards realising the principles presented in the Aquaculture White Paper,” she said, referring to the policy proposals first published in April, and approved with some adjustments by the Norwegian parliament during the summer.

The government’s position is clear: closed systems are seen as a key part of the long-term solution to environmental and biological challenges in aquaculture, particularly sea lice and waste management. Companies that wish to participate in the new scheme must document compliance with a series of technical requirements, including a sealed barrier against the surrounding environment, prevention of lice entry, collection of sludge and feed residues, and additional measures to prevent escapes.

The ministry said the new scheme builds on existing environmental monitoring frameworks already in place across the sector. The intention is to align production incentives with innovation in cleaner technology.

The Norwegian Government previously opened a consultation process on the proposed closed containment incentive scheme, which closed in March, shortly before the aquaculture white paper was released.

“We have thoroughly reviewed the consultation responses and made some adjustments to the design,” Sivertsen Næss said. “Among other things, we have strengthened the focus on preventing salmon lice from entering the production units."

"This is important both to avoid the scheme contributing to increased lice pressure, and to safeguard fish welfare and health," she emphasised.

The ministry claims that the rules will give producers more flexibility while ensuring that environmental performance improves. Once documentation of compliance is verified by the Directorate of Fisheries, companies will be able to utilise their production capacity.

The issue of fish welfare - an ongoing critical topic of debate and research among Norway's aquaculture sector - was also raised during the consultation process, but no new regulations are being introduced in this area as yet, Sivertsen Næss indicated. As such, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) will continue to oversee welfare standards under existing legislation, the ministry said.