Grieg Seafood reported to police over major plastic pollution incident in Finnmark
Grieg Seafood has been reported to Norwegian police by the County Governor of Troms and Finnmark for what is described as “serious environmental crime” related to the unreported discharge of millions of plastic pellets into Laksefjorden.
According to the County Governor’s office, the incident involves the release of approximately 35 million plastic pellets from Grieg’s operations, which were neither immediately reported nor cleaned up as required under environmental law. The spill is believed to have caused long-term environmental damage, with microplastic pollution now spread along the shoreline, according to E24.
Grieg Seafood has already received an administrative fine of NOK 450,000 ($44,550/€39,150) for violations of the Pollution Control Act. In a previous statement, the company acknowledged operational failings, including delayed notification, inadequate early detection of the issue, and a slow response in initiating cleanup.
Producer fined after 35 million plastic pellets dumped into the sea
The case has now been referred to Finnmark Police District, which has yet to issue a formal response. The date of the reported offence is listed as 27 March 2023.
Anne Birte Tennøy, acting head of the pollution section at the County Governor’s office, confirmed the report to police concerns the plastic pellet release previously covered by E24 in April.
Grieg Seafood spokesperson Roger Pedersen said the company had not yet received any formal notice of the police report but stated, “We will cooperate with the police if requested. Our current focus is on completing the cleanup of the plastic pellets within the deadline set by the County Governor.”
Pedersen added that the company had engaged an external contractor to assist in the cleanup effort and reiterated the company’s apology for the incident.
The County Governor’s office has stated that full remediation is unlikely, given the scale and nature of the pollution. The small plastic pellets pose risks to fish and bird populations and are highly resistant to degradation. Grieg faces a further deadline in autumn 2025 to complete the cleanup, with the threat of a coercive fine of NOK 750,000 ($74,250/€65,250) if the work remains unfinished.
Environmental NGO In the Same Boat offered assistance in 2024 but was reportedly declined. Its director, Rolf-Ørjan Høgset, said earlier this year: “The longer the delay in cleanup, the greater the environmental damage and the lower the chances of recovery.”