AQUACULTURE WITHOUT GOVERNMENT?

 Aquaculture Without Government?

An Op-Ed by Vibeke Hanssen, CEO and Communications Advisor at Doxacom

As a communications advisor working within the aquaculture industry, I see every day how much responsibility is taken along the coast — and how much is at stake. Norwegian aquaculture has become an advanced knowledge-based industry that balances technology, biology, and social responsibility every single day. This is precisely why we need regulation. Not to hinder development, but to safeguard fish welfare, safe food production, reputation — and an industry that remains sustainable, proud, and world-leading.

 A thought experiment we should take seriously

Norwegian salmon and trout are more than export goods. They are part of the identity of one of our most important coastal industries and a globally valued product. At the same time, we know the industry’s reputation fluctuates — often unfairly, sometimes deservedly. Those of us who work closely with the sector see both innovation and a willingness to improve, but also how individual incidents can overshadow the bigger picture and conceal all the good work happening every day.

The media must do its job. The regional newspaper Sunnmørsposten, and recently the public broadcaster NRK´s Brennpunkt with “Lakselandet”, have uncovered conditions that should never occur. The impact is strong — and far-reaching. Reputation is shared. It isn’t distributed equally, but the consequences hit equally. Consumers, politicians, and international markets react faster than ever before, and the industry rarely gets the chance to explain the complexity before judgment is passed.

When responsibility is great — but not evenly distributed

There are farmers on the leading edge, investing heavily in technology, fish welfare, and precise operations. At the same time, there are players who are not as far ahead. That isn’t unique to aquaculture — but the consequences are significant.

Because when one operator makes a mistake, it isn’t only one operator who pays the price. The whole industry does. This is why regulation is necessary, even for an industry that genuinely wants to take responsibility.

Therefore, it is useful to ask the uncomfortable but important question:

 What if the aquaculture industry had no government oversight at all?

• In the short term: growth.
• A bit longer term: increased risk.
• Without control of emissions, sea lice, escapes, and local environmental pressure, we would see regions out of balance and weaker fish welfare. Markets would react immediately, and a single documentary could set the entire industry back. Reputation would collapse before production does. Such a development benefits no one — not the industry, not the coast, not Norway.

A growing industry also needs a support system

Norwegian agriculture faced its own crises decades ago and responded by building strong organisations and a powerful communications apparatus. It took time — but resulted in a unified voice and high public trust.

Aquaculture is still a young industry. It has grown rapidly and, unlike agriculture, done so without subsidies — a clear sign of innovation and risk-taking. But this also means the industry has not built the same support structures around itself, politically or organisationally.

This creates high expectations but a lower capacity to handle pressure. At the same time, much of the communication responsibility lies with a few organisations and expert groups who work hard but cannot always represent the full breadth. The large companies have the resources to engage actively; smaller ones possess invaluable experience but often lack time and capacity.

When reputation is shared, the voice must also be shared. And here, the authorities can play a role — because clear and stable regulations make it easier for the industry to be open, confident, and proactive in its communication.

The right direction, but a challenging waiting period

The new Aquaculture White Paper — Meld. St. 24 — points toward more precise, biology-based management: transferable quotas for sea-lice emissions, technology-neutral regulation, and removal of production limits at company level once the new system is in place. The industry understands the direction. It supports much of it, but implementation will take time.

In the meantime, the industry must make billion-kroner decisions in a landscape where the regulations are still not fully defined. This is challenging for everyone — and most of all for the small and medium-sized family-owned companies that build the coastal communities but cannot take the same level of risk as large corporations.

The consequence may be increased consolidation, weakened local ownership, and an industry slowly changing character.

At the same time, we must be honest: Nothing in the White Paper has been adopted yet. It signals a political direction, not a finished regulatory framework. There will be new assessments, new consultations, and new rounds of political negotiations before details are finalised. And this is happening in a political environment more unstable than in a long time.

This means one thing: the industry cannot lean back and wait for clarity. It must step forward now. It must be visible, knowledge-based, and — perhaps most importantly — more unified than ever before. Only in this way can aquaculture influence the development of regulations that safeguard biology while enabling growth.

The industry wants to move forward — but needs direction

At the “Seafood Talks 2025” conference earlier in November, there was little doubt: The industry is ready for change but needs predictability. The message from Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss — “if you operate well, you can grow” — was welcomed, but also questioned. How can companies know they are operating well when the criteria are not clear enough?

Industry leaders called for biology-based regulation, technology neutrality, and predictability. Researchers reminded us that “fish first” is not a slogan but a requirement. And everyone agreed that the industry must get much better at telling its own true story. We don’t need more noise. We need more transparency. More knowledge. More coherence.

We need each other — more than ever

The industry and the authorities are mutually dependent. Without the authorities, the industry would grow too fast and too unevenly. Without the industry, the authorities would have nothing to manage — and no value to distribute. Without transparency, knowledge sharing, and improved communication, we lose trust — which is the true license to grow.

We must move away from the debate about “more” or “less” regulation — and toward the question of right regulation, based on biology, knowledge, and responsibility. This is how we safeguard sustainability, growth, and a strong reputation.

Growth is possible. Regulation is necessary. Trust is essential.

I am passionate about this industry because it matters — for the coast, for Norway, and for the future. And that is precisely why aquaculture must be developed correctly, not just quickly.

Image: Vibeke Hanssen, CEO and Communications Advisor at Doxacom