The salmon industry is undergoing rapid technological development. This research project aims to provide new knowledge that makes it possible to create new and necessary regulations for the salmon industry.
2021–2025
The Norwegian Research Council – Havbruk 2: Kompetanse- og samarbeidsprosjekt
19 million NOK in total (12 million NOK from The Norwegian Research Council)
– When designing the regulations, the authorities must consider sustainability broadly - environmentally, economically, and socially. We have partners from businesses, coastal communities, and environmental organizations to handle various sustainability considerations.
An innovative Industry
Salmon aquaculture is a highly innovative industry, much driven by environmental challenges such as sea lice. Both innovative closed aquaculture farms and offshore farms have emerged recently. More than twenty closed and semi-closed sea based farm concepts have emerged. The emergence of new production technologies in salmon aquaculture presents society with new challenges in developing new policies that enable sustainable growth in all dimensions - economic, environmental and social. Society simply does not have a policy
Environmental Challenges
Salmon aquaculture is a highly innovative industry driven by environmental challenges such as sea lice. Both innovative closed aquaculture farms and offshore farms have emerged recently. More than twenty closed and semi-closed sea-based farm concepts have emerged. The emergence of new production technologies in salmon aquaculture presents society with new challenges in developing new policies that enable sustainable growth in all dimensions - economic, environmental, and social. Society does not have a policy framework that allows the salmon aquaculture industry to use the right mix of technologies and new closed ocean and offshore ocean technologies.
Government Regulations Framework
This provides essential insights enabling the creation of an integrated and consistent government regulation framework for the emerging range of aquaculture technologies. The project has participation from the salmon industry, environmental NGOs, and local government. We combine economics, political science, and biology research to provide new knowledge about the costs and benefits of new technologies, including environmental and social costs and benefits to society.
UN's Sustainability Goals
The research accounts for the UN's sustainability goals' environmental, social, and economic concerns. Current regulations, with a focus on sea lice, have unfortunate consequences for the welfare of farmed fish. We have proposed new regulations for aquaculture that will give salmon companies more substantial incentives to reduce environmental impacts and innovate. We also assess existing regulations, such as the traffic light system regulating the impact on wild salmon.
Read more about the project and publications in the Norwegian Research Councils Project Bank .
