SalMar backs plans for national aquaculture museum.
Norwegian salmon producer SalMar has signed a letter of intent with Museene i Sør-Trøndelag (MiST) to provide financial support for the establishment of a new national aquaculture museum, Norsk Havbruksmuseum.
The proposed museum aims to serve as a dedicated centre for preserving and presenting the history and development of Norway’s aquaculture industry.
“In SalMar, we say that everything we do today should be done better than yesterday,” said SalMar CEO Frode Arntsen. “To know where we’re going, we have to understand where we came from. While we continue to focus on the future, the industry also needs someone to take care of its past.”
Arntsen stressed that SalMar’s financial contribution is conditional upon additional support from other industry players, regional authorities and stakeholders.
“When forestry, fisheries, and oil and gas each have their own national museums, the aquaculture sector should too,” he said.
Jørgen Fjeldvær of MiST welcomed the partnership and encouraged other businesses to get involved. “This agreement is the first of many. We want actors from across the coast to contribute, so we can create a national storyteller that not only documents the past, but also challenges the present and shapes the future.”
In its initial phase, the museum will prioritise assembling a geographically and historically representative collection, working closely with existing local and regional museums. MiST already holds an extensive aquaculture archive, which will form the foundation of the new institution.
Fjeldvær warned that time was of the essence. “Every week, we lose objects, photographs fade, and primary sources disappear. There is urgency in establishing a national museum that can work independently and professionally over the long term.”
The proposed Norsk Havbruksmuseum will also serve as a resource for the network of aquaculture visitor centres across Norway’s coastline. MiST is one of the country’s largest consolidated museum groups and will coordinate the project.