The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has rejected Mowi’s application for 36 development permits for its Aquastorm project, according to an announcement on the directorate’s website.
The Aquastorm project aimed to submerge fish cages in deep water to protect salmon from sea lice, diseases, and adverse weather conditions.
Mowi planned to integrate technology from aquaculture, subsea, and offshore industries, and the project was projected to create 60 jobs in Roan, Trøndelag.
The company had estimated an investment of NOK 3.1 billion ($300 million) for the project, contingent on government support.
Mowi originally applied for the permits in November 2017. However, the Directorate of Fisheries rejected the application in April 2019, citing that the project did not meet the criteria of “significant innovation” as outlined in the salmon allocation regulations. The directorate further noted that the project’s scale, complexity, and associated risks rendered it immature for testing.
Mowi appealed the decision in June 2019, submitting additional documentation, which the directorate interpreted as a new application. Since the deadline for development permit applications had passed in November 2017, the directorate did not accept the revised submission.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries intervened in June 2022, overturning the Directorate of Fisheries’ initial rejection and ruling that the new documentation should not be treated as a fresh application. The ministry referred the case back to the directorate for further assessment of whether the project met the “significant innovation” requirement.
