{"id":2632,"date":"2023-06-22T14:52:11","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T12:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nmf.no\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2025-03-10T09:36:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T08:36:43","slug":"oppdrettsbransjen-loper-fra-ansvart-flytter-problemet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmf.no\/en\/oppdrettsbransjen-loper-fra-ansvart-flytter-problemet\/","title":{"rendered":"Fish farms are running away from their responsibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The aquaculture industry moves environmental problems out to sea \u2013 without real control.<\/h2><\/div>\n\t
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Published 22.06.2023<\/h6>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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The aquaculture industry is shifting its environmental challenges further out to sea, exacerbating the problems rather than solving them. Much like how factories in the 1960s and 1970s built taller smokestacks to hide pollution, the aquaculture sector is now attempting to move its environmental footprint out of sight. Despite advancements expected in 2023, both the industry and authorities are failing to address the issue with the responsibility and sustainability required.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

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Over 30 years working against the fish farms<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Norges Milj\u00f8vernforbund (NMF) has been advocating for over 30 years on the severe environmental issues related to open-cage fish farming and its impact on nature and biodiversity. They are particularly concerned about the government's plans to allocate marine areas for increased salmon and trout production. NMF urges greater caution and action to prevent further harm to marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n

The government is working to identify marine areas for increased fish farming, with proposed sites including Fr\u00f8yabanken North, Tr\u00e6nabanken, and Norskerenna. These areas are being considered for further environmental assessments to evaluate the impacts of expanded aquaculture activities.<\/p>\n

With Fisheries Minister Bj\u00f8rnar Skj\u00e6ran at the helm, the government is now finalizing its work on identifying areas at sea for aquaculture, including Fr\u00f8yabanken North, Tr\u00e6nabanken, and Norskerenna. The areas will undergo environmental impact assessments as part of the government's plans to boost the growth of the aquaculture industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Finally, the starting signal has been given! The process of evaluating specific areas for offshore aquaculture begins. This is an important step for the future value creation and activities in the Norwegian aquaculture industry. The work to facilitate offshore aquaculture has now reached a new and significant milestone.<\/span>Bj\u00f8rnar Skj\u00e6ran<\/span><\/blockquote>\n\t
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NMF strongly opposes the plans to move aquaculture offshore, arguing that this is merely an \"out of sight, out of mind\" solution. They believe that shifting to the ocean will not address the fundamental problems associated with open-net farming. If the farming method remains unchanged, the same environmental challenges already present on land will continue to affect marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n

One of the companies planning offshore farming is Salmar, which has designed a new fish farm twice the size of its previous model in Frohavet. Salmar is now awaiting approval from the government to proceed with the construction, an investment worth 2.3 billion NOK.<\/p>\n

NMF has carefully assessed the arguments from both the aquaculture industry and the government, expressing concerns about the environmental consequences of relocating farming operations offshore without a fundamentally new approach to the farming method. They argue that moving aquaculture to the sea won\u2019t solve underlying environmental issues unless the operational methods are significantly revised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

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Where are the fish farms to be placed?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fisheries Minister Bj\u00f8rnar Skj\u00e6ran has stated that the areas designated for aquaculture will not conflict with other activities. However, NMF argues that this claim is unrealistic. When looking at the proposed areas for aquaculture, it is clear that they are crucial for traditional wild fish fishing. Particularly, the two areas outside Tr\u00f8ndelag (Fr\u00f8yabanken) and Nordland (Tr\u00e6nabanken) are important fishing grounds for coastal fishermen.<\/p>\n

Tr\u00e6nabanken:<\/strong> Tr\u00e6nabanken is a large plateau off the coast of Tr\u00e6na, known for its rich fishing grounds, especially for species like coley, tusk, and ling, particularly in the summer months. It is also a fishing spot for blue halibut. The area is vital for fishing and would be severely disturbed by aquaculture activities.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00f8yabanken:<\/strong> Fr\u00f8yabanken is a significant fishing area, as stated by the Norwegian Coastal Fishermen's Association. The majority of the fishing here is done using purse seines, nets, and longlines, with NVG herring and coley being the main species. The area also has confirmed coral reefs, which should be a sufficient reason to prevent it from being opened to aquacultur<\/p>\n

Norskerenna:<\/strong> Norskerenna is an area with extensive trawling for species like winkles, blue whiting, and herring, as well as an established prawn field with significant trawl activity. There is also trap fishing for Norway lobster. Fishermen are concerned about the use of toxic chemicals for lice control, which could harm prawns and other shellfish in the area, thus threatening the region's biodiversity.<\/p>\n

NMF believes that placing aquaculture areas in these important fishing regions is not only detrimental to coastal fishing but may also have severe consequences for marine ecosystems and biodiversity. They urge thorough evaluation of these areas before any decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Moving the problem out at sea changes nothing<\/strong><\/h4>\n

NMF is convinced that the same issues the aquaculture industry faces with sea lice in fjords will occur in offshore farms. There's no reason to believe that sea lice won't reach the fish in sea-based pens. Sea lice are a problem that will follow the industry regardless of where the farms are located.<\/p>\n

Another serious issue is the fish that feed on pellets under the aquaculture farms along the coast. These fish cannot tolerate large amounts of the fatty farmed feed and can become inedible as human food if they consume too much over time. Studies by researchers like Ingebrigt Uglem (NINA), Tim Dempster (SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture), and P\u00e5l Arne Bj\u00f8rn (Nofima Marin) have shown that over 10 tons of wild fish from 15 different species feed around the farms. A study on saithe found an average of 33 grams of pellets per fish (Ryen 2009).<\/p>\n

NMF is once again convinced that the same problems occurring in coastal aquaculture farms will arise in open sea pens. Moving aquaculture to the ocean is not the solution to issues like sea lice and fish health.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

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