REGULATIONS

Norwegian Parliament Postpone Aquaculture Reform, Maintains Current Regulations

Oslo, Norway, 10 June 2025 | A new legal framework is expected to conclude between 2026 and 2029

Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Ministra Noruega de Pesca y AcuiculturaMarianne Sivertsen Næss, Ministra Noruega de Pesca y Acuicultura

A broad cross-party agreement in the Norwegian Parliament has confirmed that the country’s existing aquaculture regulations-including the “traffic light” system and maximum allowed biomass limits-will remain in place until a new legal framework is developed and adopted, a process expected to conclude between 2026 and 2029.

The deal, reached by six political parties including the governing Labour Party and the opposition Conservatives, ensures regulatory continuity while introducing new environmental incentives. In the interim, a new environmental technology scheme will be launched to reward fish farming companies that succed in reducing their ecological impact.

“This broad agreement seriously addresses environmental challenges while safeguarding jobs along the coast,” stated Erling Sande of the Centre Party, who chairs the Parliament’s business committee. “Protecting small and medium-sized producers and ensuring income for coastal communities was key.”

As part of the compromise, feasibility studies will be carried out on a revised production quota model that could link allocations to each company’s specific maximum allowed biomass levels. Lawmakers also agreed to analyse the potential effects of removing the maximum allowed biomass system altogether, including implications for company valuations, ownership structures, and access to financing.

Fisheries Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss welcomed the deal, describing it as “a step forward predictability for the industry and coastal communities.” The agreement is set to be bought to a final parliamentary vote on 12 June.

The compromise follows prolonged pushback from the aquaculture sector against earlier government proposals that sought to impose stricter environmental measures, such as sea lice emission limits and penalties for fish escapes and mortality. These proposals will now undergo under consultation.

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