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The Norwegian government has launched a dedicated community mission for sustainable feed, mandating that all feed come from sustainable sources
Halving Mortality in the Salmon Industry: A Realistic Goal
NORWAY
Friday, November 29, 2024, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
On Thursday, November 28, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen visited Næss Nutrimar’s biorefinery in Nordskaget.
During the visit, Nutrimar presented promising trial results highlighting the benefits of incorporating marine, locally sourced ingredients into Norwegian feed production. The trials demonstrated significant potential for improving fish survival rates, enhancing fish health, and reducing the climate footprint of aquaculture operations.
 In 2022, Norway produced 1.5 million tonnes of salmon, generating 520,000 tonnes of by-products. Nutrimar's Managing Director, Edgar Skjervold, emphasized the untapped potential of these by-products for the seafood industry:
"Norwegian feed raw materials can serve as a foundation for competitive and sustainable growth in the seafood industry. Utilizing these resources can reduce climate emissions, improve animal health, create profitable jobs across the country, and bolster food security and preparedness. It’s a missed industrial opportunity to import soy when we can recycle domestic raw materials and produce healthier, higher-quality feed."
Skjervold also highlighted Nutrimar’s findings that mortality in the aquaculture industry could be halved by increasing the use of fresh Norwegian salmon oil, renowned for its superior quality, in fish feed.
Ministerial Support for Sustainable Initiatives
During her visit, Minister Sivertsen toured the biorefinery and discussed Nutrimar’s proposed measures to enable competitive and sustainable growth in the seafood industry. She was briefed on the company's vision for a self-sufficient seafood sector emphasizing sustainability and animal welfare.
Photo: Nutrimar
Skjervold noted:
"We still have work to do to achieve a sustainable, self-sufficient seafood industry. Utilizing all available resources and prioritizing animal welfare and sustainability are critical. Fortunately, there are solutions that address multiple challenges simultaneously—but we need the government’s support to make them a reality."
He also praised the minister’s engagement and ambition in this area:
"We are fortunate to have a minister who is learning-oriented, interested, and clear in her goals. Moving forward, we need incentives to reward good animal welfare practices and encourage the domestic processing of fish."
Photo: Nutrimar
Nutrimar's Regulatory Proposals
The Norwegian government has launched a dedicated community mission for sustainable feed, mandating that all feed for farmed fish and livestock come from sustainable sources by 2034. It also aims to increase the share of Norwegian-produced raw materials for farmed fish from 8% to 25% within the same timeframe.
Nutrimar is committed to this mission and has proposed two key policy measures to achieve it:
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Animal Welfare Incentives:
Introduce mortality or other welfare indicators as criteria for expanding production capacity. Companies prioritizing animal welfare should receive incentives and rewards.
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Encourage Domestic Processing:
Increase the number of production areas eligible for inclusion in the shared biomass ceiling for breeders who process a significant proportion of fish domestically. Additionally, provide incentives for leasing permits to processing operators. Stimulating fish processing in Norway would enhance access to local raw materials, such as offal and residual by-products, supporting a circular economy in the aquaculture industry.
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