Hofseth International has scaled back plans for what was intended to become Norway’s largest land-based salmon farm following sustained opposition from environmental and heritage authorities.
The company has reduced the planned annual production capacity of its proposed World Heritage Salmon facility at Raudbergvika in Fjord municipality from 100,000 tonnes to around 30,000 tonnes, chief executive Roger Hofseth told Norwegian broadcaster NRK
“We are reducing the volume in the hope that the authorities can approve the project more quickly,” Hofseth said.
The revised plans also reduce the expected number of jobs from 200–300 to around 120. Even at the lower capacity, the project would remain one of Norway’s largest land-based salmon farming facilities if approved.
The proposal, which would redevelop a former mine near the West Norwegian Fjords, has faced objections from several public bodies.
According to NRK, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, the Institute of Marine Research, the County Governor of Møre og Romsdal and the Directorate of Mining have all raised concerns over the project.
Objections
Critics have argued that discharges from the facility could affect the marine environment in the Storfjorden, while planned excavation works and tunnels could conflict with protected landscape and World Heritage values.
The original proposal envisaged the extraction of 5.5 million cubic metres of rock and annual nitrogen discharges of between 3,200 and 4,500 tonnes, according to objections cited by NRK.
The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment has also advised against approving the original plans. By contrast, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries recommended approval, citing the project’s potential to create jobs and economic activity despite possible environmental impacts.
The final decision rests with the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, which told NRK it was aware the plans could be revised but said it would not comment on the implications until it had received updated information from the municipality.
Fjord municipality, which has backed the development because of its potential economic benefits, said it would have preferred the original proposal but acknowledged that the smaller scheme may have a greater chance of securing approval.