Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
Photo: NFD
Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has published the latest scientific reports used to operate its "traffic light" system for salmon and trout aquaculture. The documents outline how sea lice infestation is judged to have affected wild Atlantic salmon in 2025, with the findings released by the system’s Steering Group.
Norway’s marine aquaculture sector is divided into 13 production areas, each assigned a colour based on sea lice risk, updated annually, that dictates whether farms may expand or must scale back output. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss said the advance publication of the scientific reports gives stakeholders an opportunity to offer feedback before colour classifications for each production region are determined.
“The actual colour classification will not be decided until the first quarter of 2026,” she said, via a government news announcement.
The findings conclude that one of the 13 farming zones, PO3, faces a high level of risk from lice exposure. Nine regions are assessed as having a moderate level, while three areas, PO1, PO12 and PO13, are considered to be at low risk. The government notes that these ratings are unchanged from 2024.
In its announcement published on 1 December, the ministry highlighted that guidance set out in the parliamentary white paper on sustainable aquaculture growth, released earlier this year, states that when two consecutive years show identical outcomes, the decision on traffic light colour is generally predictable. If the results differ, the authorities are required to explore the broader environmental picture in more depth, including potential socio-economic implications.
Decisions on which zones receive a green light for growth or a red light signalling possible cuts will be based on the expert groups’ reports for 2024 and 2025 along with assessments from the Steering Group, which plans to hold a dialogue meeting early in January where it will brief industry participants on the scientific material. The Expert Group will also take part, and attendees will be able to request clarifications or propose short technical contributions, officials said.
While Norway already has established models on the impact of sea lice on wild salmon, it does not yet have a completed model for sea trout. The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) has been developing a model, with results for 2024-25 also due to be presented at the dialogue meeting in January.
The Norwegian government said it is still considering how this methodology could support a future indicator comparable to the one already established for wild salmon. A full indicator is not expected to be incorporated before 2026, and the Ministry said sea trout could only be included in the traffic light classifications in 2028 at the earliest.
