Image: Arctic Sea Farm / FIS

Issuance of operating license to Arctic Sea Farm for fish farming in Ísafjörður

ICELAND
Monday, March 04, 2024, 01:00 (GMT + 9)

The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (Matvælastofnun) has awarded Arctic Sea Farm ehf. operating license for aquaculture in Ísafjörður in accordance with the law on aquaculture. Matvælastofnun advertised a proposal for an operating license on the agency's website on June 5, and the deadline for submitting comments was July 5, 2023.

Arctic Sea Farm applied for a new operating license for 8,000 tons of salmon and rainbow trout in Ísafjörður. The company already has a maximum biomass of 5,300 tonnes in an operating license (FE-1127) for sea trout farming in Ísafjörður. The application for a new operating license was received on May 20, 2019, and the operating license FE-1127 will expire upon the entry into force of the new license.

This is a new operating license that allows fishing in the depths of Ísafjörður for up to 8,000 tons of maximum biomass of rainbow trout and salmon, of which the maximum biomass of fertile salmon can be a maximum of 5,200 tons. The Ministry of Food has published a carrying capacity assessment and a risk assessment of genetic hybridization for aquaculture in Iceland. The carrying capacity of Ísafjörður is estimated at 30,000 tons and allows for a risk assessment of genetic mixing of 12,000 tons of maximum biomass of fertile salmon in the Deep. The activity is also subject to a license from the Environment Agency.

Overview of the layout of pens and sampling stations at C sampling (left) and B sampling (right). Red crosses on left image marks locations of C-sampling according to ASC standard. Blue crosses in the right picture show where B-samples are taken but moreover, the blue color in the picture means that the stations have been rated "very good condition" according to NS 9410:2016.1. Source: Matvælastofnun

The company's implementation went through an environmental impact assessment in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act.

You may appeal the decision of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority on the issuance of the operating license to the Environmental and Natural Resources Appeals Committee, and the appeal deadline is one month from the publication of this advertisement.

Arctic Sea Farm ehf evaluation report.

Source: Matvælastofnun (Translated from the original in Icelandic)

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