Strategy for an Environmentally Sustainable Norwegian Aquaculture Industry.

The Strategy for an Environmentally Sustainable Norwegian Aquaculture Industry is a national strategy that focuses on the environmental aspects of sustainable farming. The strategy document discusses details of challenges, status, measures initiated, future goals and the Government’s proposals for new measures.
To make aquaculture more environmentally sustainable the strategy is focused on five main areas in which the industry impacts the environment. These areas are: • genetic interaction and escapes • pollution and discharges • disease, including parasites • zoning • feed and feed resources.
Regarding genetic interaction and escapes, the goal is to prohibit aquaculture from contributing to permanent changes in the genetic characteristics of wild fish stocks. To this end, government will improve inspection of aquaculture facilities, along with prosecution of infringements, to ensure that the environmental provisions in the rules are observed, propose tightening up the rules on technical requirements and standards, encourage the development of new technological solutions to prevent escape, priorities’ knowledge-building and transfer of escape-related behavior and escape risk, prioritize the monitoring programme for national salmon watercourses and fjords, and increase understanding of DNA profiles and genetic stability in major salmon populations, continue to work towards increasing understanding of the effects escaped farmed fish have on wild populations, investigate whether fish-farmers should pay for damage-compensation measures implemented by the authorities after an escape, investigate whether an upper limit on the size of cages and/or the number of fish in a cage ought to be introduced, with regard to the consequences of an escape. For cod in particular, it will be proposed to give statutory effect to the current administrative practice of banning cod farming in wild cod spawning grounds, requirements for cod farmers to be subject to the same rules as salmon farmers for approved operation plans, requirement for net checks to come into effect, and requirement for control catches in order to spot incipient escapes more quickly, so as to limit their extent.
Regarding pollution and discharges , the goal will be for all fish farming locations in use to maintain an acceptable environmental state, and not have higher emissions of nutrient salts and organic materials than the receiving waters can tolerate. To this end, the Government will prioritise research into environmental data, water quality and fjord and coast ecology, develop location criteria to protect environmental sustainability, propose the introduction of mandatory C-investigations from NS 9410 at the time of allocation and during operation, and stimulate development of MOLO as a future cohesive system for the regulation of environmental effects and area adaptation.
Regarding disease, including parasites, the goal is to prohibit fish farming from having a regulatory effect on stocks of wild fish, and to have as many farmed fish as possible to grow to slaughter age with minimal use of medicines. To this end, the Norwegian Food Authority will revise its “Action Plan Against Salmon Lice” to include measures against resistance development. A separate plan will also be devised against the development of resistance to salmon lice agents.
Regarding zoning, the goal is for the aquaculture industry to have a location structure and zoning which reduces impact on the environment and the risk of infection. To this end, the government will define better location criteria, introduce specially-protected areas for aquaculture administration, revise institutional authority to enforce relocation of farming facilities on general environmental and commercial grounds, encourage all coastal local authorities to have updated coastal zone plans, and set up a commission to examine options for more efficient zoning in the aquaculture industry.
Regarding feed and feed resources, the goal is for the aquaculture industry’s needs for raw materials for feed to be met without over-exploitation of wild marine resources. To this end, the Government will work internationally to reduce the scope of IUU fishing, and reduce discards to a minimum, work internationally to ensure countries exploiting industrial fish have sustainable fisheries, stimulate increased use of marine by-products for feed, prioritise research into alternative marine sources, consider means for production, import and marking feed and feed ingredients to ensure that fish feed used in Norwegian fish farming only contains fish meal and fish oil produced from sustainably-managed stocks, stimulate the development of feed technology and feed which boost growth and reduce environmental impacts around the facilities.
Regarding governance, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs is the responsible authority for strategy implementation.