Australia lets in Icelandic salmon

Australia has opened the door to Icelandic salmon and salmon products.

The authorities in Canberra have said that Iceland’s salmon producers have now met the necessary conditions to allow them to export to the southern hemisphere nation.

Mast.is. Iceland’s food agency said: “The licence has been a long time coming, but the Australian authorities have made an assessment of the disease status of farmed fish (salmon fish) and subsequently authorized the import of aquaculture products from Iceland to Australia if certain requirements are met.”

However, with the shortest distance between Reykjavik and Sydney more than 10,000 miles (16,600 km) and air freight rates currently expensive, it will be interesting to see how many companies will consider it worthwhile to take up the offer.

Nevertheless, Mast.is held an open information session for aquaculture exporters last week to explain how the new regulations will operate. It also outlined the background to the agreement and explained how producers can become licensed and get their products certified.

The Australian authorities said they have made an assessment of the disease status of farmed fish (salmon fish) and subsequently authorised the import of aquaculture products from Iceland to Australia, if certain requirements are met.

Some of the conditions have already been published. For example, Icelandic must immediately notify the Australian authorities if a disease occurs in farmed fish or in wild fish that prohibits the import of products from Iceland.

The Icelandic authorities will also have to monitor licensed establishments and immediately notify Canberra if they no longer meet the requirements.