The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has reversed an earlier rejection decision and has now approved plans for Helgeland Miljøfisk’s land-based salmon farming venture, moving the facility a step closer to being realised.
The producer now needs to obtain a permit from the State Administrator of Nordland, before Nordland County Council can issue the flow-through facility with a license.
“At long last! We’ve been waiting for this message for a long time. It’s been a long process, over three years! I’m relieved and happy that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has upheld our complaint and granted us a licence,” Helgeland Miljøfisk CEO Sten Roald Lorentzen said in a statement.
Helgeland Miljøfisk confirmed that NFSA had previously blocked the fish farm plans on several occasions, most recently in January. At that time, it justified its rejection on the grounds that Helgeland Miljøfisk did not plan to purify the intake water, had not planned to have a roof over the land-based fish farms, or had established adequate plans for internal control and biosecurity.
“Since then, we’ve worked intensively to find good enough solutions, and we therefore expected a yes. It’s incredibly good to get it in black and white,” Lorentzen said.
In its decision, NFSA said it considers the risk of infection to, within and from the facility to now be acceptable.
“Based on the new information in the case, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s Aquaculture Supervision Division is reversing its decision in the case,” the authority said.
Lorentzen said he is keeping his fingers crossed that the State Administrator of Nordland will soon give the green light for the land-based fish farm, where the plan is to produce up to 40,000 tonnes of fish a year.
According to the Pollution Control Act, the State Administrator must grant a permit, but after several years of processing, the State Administrator in Nordland rejected the application in February. This came despite a written message stating that they signed a permit.
Helgeland Miljøfisk appealed the decision and is awaiting the outcome.
“We believe we have answered all of the questions and objections from the State Administrator, in the same way as we have from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. We expect to receive authorisation from them as well,” Lorentzen said.
He hopes to start building and construction activities at Toft in the course of the year.
“That is definitely the plan. The Toftøya venture will mean a lot for Helgeland. We are fortunate to have many people supporting us on the road to our goal. We really appreciate that support. We are now one step closer.”
Helgeland Miljøfisk is owned by Aquaculture Innovation, which is owned by Torghatten Aqua. The companies are headquartered in Toft outside Brønnøysund.
