“When there is unrest outside, we must have peace at home”: Industry calls for stability ahead of aquaculture policy launch.
Krister Hoaas, Head of Farming Region West at the Norwegian Seafood Federation, has called on the Norwegian government to prioritise stability for the aquaculture industry as it prepares to unveil its long-awaited Aquaculture White Paper (“Havbruksmeldingen”) this Thursday at 17:00 in Bergen.
Posting on LinkedIn, Hoaas repeated comments he made to NRK on 3 April, saying:
“When there is unrest outside, we must have peace at home.”
“I hope that the government understands how important it is for the country to secure value creation and jobs along the coast,” he wrote. “Of course for the coastal communities, but just as much for Norway, and just as much for the country’s food production as for our total preparedness.”
He urged politicians to keep that priority top of mind in their handling of the white paper:
“This is actually about the future of the country’s most important coastal industry and the country’s second largest export industry.”
The timing of the Aquaculture Report comes amid heightened geopolitical and economic pressures, including newly announced US tariffs on Norwegian salmon. Industry leaders, including Mowi CEO Ivan Vindheim, have warned that now is not the time for additional domestic burdens on producers.
The white paper is expected to outline Norway’s long-term strategic direction for aquaculture regulation and licensing.