SalMar founder Gustav Witzøe wants the price of Norwegian salmon down to take up the battle with land-based facilities in the US and China.
“With the high salmon price we have in Norway now, we have facilitated that it can be invested in other countries. It’s worrying,” said Witzøe to Trønder-Avisa.
Salmon farmers in Norway are currently in a battle with lawmakers over changes to taxes. As it currently stands, Nordic salmon farm taxation is based on growth, however the current administration wants a move to a fixed tax rate.
According to Witzøe, it is important to return with a growth rate of eight to ten per cent per year.
“We had clear whether the salmon price was lowered from NOK 60 to NOK 33 per kilo, and we are doing well with that,” said Witzøe.
Witzøe is against taxing the industry, which he believes inhibits the development of the Norwegian aquaculture industry. He thinks the money farmers earn should go poured back into investment and not be taxed.
He shares the view of Norway Seafood Federation CEO Geir Ove Ystmark, who believes that any taxation will eat up capital that farmers need for investment.
Norwegian lawyer and Liberal Party politician Abid Raja visited SalMar Settefisk on Monday with Witzøe and promised to look into the understanding of the consciences of an extra tax.
“The government will now set aside a committee to look at all aspects of both taxation and other elements. Then it is important that we have the knowledge we need so that we do not do things wrong,” said Raja.
Utrolig kule folk i #Salmar. Takk for gode faglige og næringsvennlige innspill. Fotocredit til @GeirOveYstmark pic.twitter.com/3YlXbffzPb
— Abid Q. Raja (@abidraja) January 28, 2019
