norway

In May 2019, over eight million farmed salmon suffocated in northern Norway as a result of a persistent algae bloom. The estimated economic loss from the 10,000 tonnes of farmed salmon is as much as 620 million Norwegian Kroner (EUR64m). The enormous algae blooms, which occurred due to warm weather, spread rapidly around Norway’s northern coast, sticking to fish’s gills and suffocating them. While wild fish can swim away from the lethal clouds of aquatic organism, farmed fish are trapped at the mercy of the algae. Harmful algae blooms occur when the normally occurring aquatic plants grow out of control due to warm weather. Some are attributing the severity of these algae attacks to climate change.

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has issued warnings that toxic algae blooms (Chrysochromulina leadbeaterii) are affecting an area of about 450 kilometres of the northern coastline of Norway.

Scientists and industry representatives from 16 countries gathered in Tromsø, Norway in the middle of June to launch a new EU-funded project, AquaVitae. The 36 project partners are from European countries as well as Brazil, South Africa, Namibia, and North America.

Norwegian cod exports have exceeded $1 billion for the second year in a row,…

Following a revision in the way mackerel stocks are measured by scientists, the 2019 harvest quota for the Norwegian mackerel fishery more than doubled from the level set late last year.…

During the month of October, Norwegian aquaculture companies exported 104 000 tonnes of salmon with a worth of 6 5 billion NOK (€680 million).…

The overcapacity in Europe’s salmon feed market is causing at least one major feed producer to close its production operations in the UK. Norway-based Skretting, a Nutreco subsidiary, operates production facilities in 19 countries worldwide, including one each in Scotland and England. However, a rival, Marine Harvest Scotland, is opening a plant in the spring of 2019, which Skretting estimates will raise UK capacity by more than 50% over market demand, leading to unsustainably low prices. Skretting said it isn’t planning on stopping production in other EU markets; indeed, the company continues to grow, based on a strategy of matching local aquafeed markets with local production is closely as possible. The principal market, the global farmed salmon sector, is as highly competitive as the feed sector, and experiences production shifts of its own, which feed suppliers must adapt to. “Aquaculture is an increasingly important and attractive solution to meet growing demand for healthy food,” the company’s announcement said, but to ensure sustained profitability “tough decisions” must be made, referring to the impacts on around 100 employees as well as customers and suppliers.

21-24 August 2018 Nor-Fishing Trondheim, Norway Tel.:+47 73 56 86 40 mailbox@nor-fishing.no www.nor-fishing.no   …