Norwegian Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg told Reuters on Wednesday: Government will not withdraw the ministry’s proposed framework for farmed salmon output regulations, despite industry claims that the system is unworkable and unfair
Sandberg: System could undergo revisions though. “I don’t necessarily think this is a perfect system,” he added
The Norwegian Seafood Federation, representing approximately 500 member companies, earlier on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw its proposed model
Sandberg said worries among salmon producers that the system will lead to a form of collective punishment were unfounded
The new system could potentially allow the Norwegian salmon farming industry an annual volume output growth of 3 percent, but that’s based on every producer being able to keep average sea lice levels below a limit of 0.2 per fish
The Norwegian Seafood Federation argues this is impossible as sea lice levels are also linked to the level of sea lice in wild salmon.
The government wants the new rules to come into effect in 2017.
2016 Reuters