Norwegian Environment Minister dismisses call for salmon farming ban amid concerns for wild stocks

NORWAY – Norway’s minister for climate and the environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, has ruled out a ban on open-net fish farming at sea despite growing concerns over the decline of wild North Atlantic salmon populations. 

Acknowledging that the species faces an “existential threat,” Eriksen emphasised the importance of balancing industrial production with environmental sustainability rather than eliminating fish farming.

As the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon, Norway exports approximately 1.2 million tonnes of salmon annually. 

However, the nation’s wild salmon population has plummeted from over a million in the early 1980s to roughly 500,000 today. 

While the effects of climate change are largely to blame for this sharp decline, experts have also pointed to the country’s booming aquaculture sector, which has contributed to the problem through farmed fish escapes and the spread of sea lice parasites. 

The crisis has already led to the closure of 33 rivers to salmon fishing, reflecting the severity of the situation.

Speaking at the Missing Salmon Alliance conference in London last week, Eriksen acknowledged the gravity of the decline. 

“If you look at wild salmon, 2024 was an exceptionally bad year, but it did not stand alone. The two other worst years were in 2023 and 2021. This is part of a trend,” he stated. “The impact from everything we do is becoming more than nature and our stocks can actually handle.”

Despite this, the minister reaffirmed his stance against banning open-net salmon farming, arguing that the industry plays a vital role in food production and economic growth. 

“The aquaculture industry produces food that is crucial to people all over the world. The goal is to produce that food sustainably in the future,” he said, as reported by The Guardian.

Rather than prohibiting fish farming at sea, Eriksen believes that the solution lies in tighter regulations and better pollution control. 

“My main issue is not with production itself but with pollution and its impact on the environment. That is what we need to tackle,” he explained.

Norway’s stance contrasts with recent decisions in British Columbia and Washington State, where bans on open-net salmon farms have been implemented to protect wild fish stocks.

Instead of adopting similar measures, Eriksen insists on regulatory frameworks that incentivise sustainable practices while ensuring pollution remains manageable.

“There are levels of pollution that the environment can handle, and those levels must also be within limits that wild Atlantic salmon stocks can sustain. Finding that balance is what we need to focus on moving forward,” he concluded.

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