Proposal to allow up to 40 percent ownership control of salmon farming

The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs proposes to change the rules of ownership control of the aquaculture industry. It is proposed to allow companies to own up to 40 percent of production capacity in the salmon farming industry. At the same time, there will be more stringent requirements for activities in coastal districts.

Today the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs has circulated a draft for new regulations on the allocation and delimitation of production capacity in the salmon farming industry. The deadline for consultative statements is 20 June 2013.

- The government is concerned with maintaining diversity in ownership of the aquaculture industry. We need both small and large companies. The aim of the change is more added value from the aquaculture industry in coastal Norway.  The greater the share of common resources a company takes advantage of, the more it should return to the coastal districts, said the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.

The Ministry proposes a step by step scheme, where one can apply for acquisitions resulting in control from 15 per cent of production capacity up to 40 per cent. Companies owning less than 15 per cent of production capacity are not required to apply. The greater the share of production capacity a company owns above this limit, the more stringent requirements will apply to the company's R&D activities, degree of processing and the number of trainees and apprenticeships offered.

There are requirements toward diversification of the company's activities. The company must have at least one centre of activity, for example an administrative unit, processing facility, centre for research and development, regional headquarters or similar in each region in which the company has aquaculture operations.

- When formulating the rules we have drawn on the outline presented in the press release 12 December last year. I believe that the new requirements will increasingly ensure that the largest companies continue to contribute to added value and activities in coastal areas, says the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.