Norwegian salmon farming giant Salmar’s proposal to construct a new salmon site near the historic fishing village of Kya in Frøyhavet, Norway has been denied by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, citing significant health concerns.
The decision comes as the aquaculture giant grapples with space constraints at its existing facilities, despite receiving new permits.
The company had sought approval for a facility with a maximum allowable biomass (MTB) of 6,240 tons of salmon. The local newspaper Hitra-Frøya reported that the application faced opposition from local stakeholders, including Kya property owners, Frøya historielag, and Birdlife Norge.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s decision to reject the application was primarily based on health conditions of farmed salmon in the region north of Frøya. The authority highlighted the area’s ongoing challenges, including a significant infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreak, issues with pancreas disease (PD), and high lice numbers. They deemed it irresponsible to introduce new farming operations under these circumstances.
Roger Bekken, Salmar’s general manager of farming, expressed his disappointment in a comment to local media outlet Hitra-Frøya, noting that the company had only just received the decision and had not yet fully reviewed it. Bekken emphasized that operating in localities with good water exchange could enhance fish welfare both locally and regionally.
Despite the setback, Bekken underscored Salmar’s commitment to maintaining high standards of fish welfare and expressed hope that future operations could still contribute positively to the region.
