Norwegian seafood group calls new environmental scheme a "missed opportunity"

The Norwegian seafood industry association, Sjømatbedriftene, has criticised the government's new environmental flexibility scheme for the aquaculture industry, describing it as a "minimum solution" and a "missed opportunity".

While acknowledging it as a step in the right direction, the group believes the scheme lacks the power to accelerate necessary development.

Robert H. Eriksson, CEO of Sjømatbedriftene, stated that the group had hoped for a far more aggressive scheme with stronger incentives for restructuring. He noted that the new solution only applies to "red production areas" and does not provide a boost for the rest of the country.

The association had previously submitted its own proposal for a scheme that would have allowed farmers to exchange one permit for open cages for three permits for production in a zero local emission solution, effectively tripling production for those who transitioned.

Eriksson said the government's chosen path disappoints the group's members who have been keen to get a more robust scheme in place.

Eriksson emphasised that the new scheme is only a first step and that his organisation will continue to work to improve it. "We need a scheme that rewards those who actually lead the way, not that punishes those who have already done the job," he said.