Norwegian salmon farming may lose important feed certification
The Norwegian aquaculture industry is facing a challenging situation next week. It is expected that blue whiting, a fish species widely used in the production of salmon feed, will lose its international certification. This could have major consequences for how Norwegian salmon is produced and marketed in the future.
The certification is important for documenting that the fish used in the feed is caught in a sustainable manner. As it is now likely to disappear, it creates uncertainty for both feed suppliers and fish farmers. Many in the industry describe the situation as a forewarned catastrophe, as they have seen the development coming for some time.
Several stakeholders in the industry are now expressing frustration over the situation. They believe it is particularly embarrassing for Norway, which is a world leader in salmon farming, that such an important raw material is losing its approval. Critics point out that this weakens the reputation of Norwegian seafood and makes it more difficult to prove that the production is environmentally friendly.
Now the industry must work quickly to find alternative solutions. It is currently unclear what consequences this will have for the price of salmon feed or for the export of salmon abroad. The matter is being closely monitored by both authorities and environmental organizations concerned with sustainability in the ocean.