Business anger over salmon processing delays in Nordland

Salmon farmers are calling for faster action on the part of the authorities processing planning applications in Nordland, Norway’s most important fish farming region.

The main complaint is the very long time taken to deal with aquaculture applications and the large number of special requirements being demanded, compared with other regions.

The industry organisation Seafood Norway and the regional business group NHO Nordland has appealed to the Oslo government to take action.

Seafood Norway (Sjømat Norge) says the situation has become completely unsustainable, with the development of aquaculture almost at a halt because of the special requirements that the authority is demanding.

Producers are experiencing more widespread use of temporary permits, permits with a lower volume and stricter requirements for environmental documentation and monitoring compared to other counties,” said Seafood Norway.

The two organisations said applications are taking 30 weeks to process and longer to be approved.

Nordland is by far Norway’s largest salmon region, producing more than 360,000 tonnes a year.

Seafood Norway says the aquaculture industry “constitutes the very blood pump” along the Nordland coast.

Kine Mari Karlsen, Seafood Norway’s regional aquaculture manager said there was a need for better management in Nordland state administration, adding that “it has become the plug in the system”.

The situation was affecting investment, value creation and employment, he added.

Hans Christian Hansson, regional director of NHO Nordland said: “Our member companies in the aquaculture industry are frustrated, and with good reason. Not only is the processing time far too long, but there are also different practices between the counties.

“Businesses in the region feel that they are treated differently, and this affects one of our most important industries.”