The Norwegian government has rejected the idea of banning open-sea salmon farming to protect wild salmon populations, instead focusing on reducing water pollution.
Norwegian Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen stated that the government is not considering a ban on salmon farming in net-enclosed marine farms. Instead, they aim to address the threats to wild salmon by minimizing pollution caused by human activities.
Norway is the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon. Meanwhile, wild salmon populations have declined significantly—from about one million in the 1980s to an estimated 500,000 today. This decline is attributed to climate change, parasite infestations, and farmed salmon escaping into the wild. Due to this trend, Norway banned salmon fishing on more than 30 rivers last summer.
The minister emphasized that human-caused pollution is the primary threat to wild salmon populations and should be the main focus of policy changes.
“As for the aquaculture industry—it produces food, which is essential for people worldwide. Our goal is to ensure the sustainable production of this resource in the future. Therefore, I do not see the main issue as farming itself but rather pollution and its environmental impact. This is where we need to act… We must establish a regulatory system that encourages production while keeping pollution levels low enough to avoid harming wild fish in the Atlantic Ocean,” Eriksen stated.
