Nordland project ‘still on’ despite planning rejection

The Nordland State Administrator this week refused Helgeland Miljøfisk’s plan for a land-based farm by refusing permission for a permit under the regional pollution act.

The project would have created at least 200 jobs and eventually produced up to 40,000 tonnes of salmon a year, the company said.

Helgeland Miljøfisk, which is owned by Aquaculture Innovation, in turn owned by Torghatten Aqua, plans to fight on.

Roald Lorentzen, CEO of Aquaculture Innovation, said that the plan remains firm.

He commented: “The application has been on the State Administrator’s desk for almost three years.

“It is disappointing to receive a rejection for something we have worked so hard on and put so much effort into.

“The rejection also appears incomprehensible, given the signals we have received along the way. About a year ago, we received written notice from the State Administrator in Nordland that they signed a permit.”

The State Administrator’s no to the land-based venture comes just a few weeks after the Norwegian Food Safety Authority blocked a major investment in land-based farming on Toftøya in Helgeland.

Miljøfisk has now filed a complaint with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority regarding the decision.

Lorentzen added: “We believe we have answered everything the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has based on for the rejection.

"Now we are starting the same exercise with the State Administrator. It is important to emphasise that our plans for a land-based facility on Toftøya are firm, even if things are taking longer than we had hoped and believed.”