Norwegian EAA member – Norges Jeger-og Fiskerforbund (NJFF) – published a statement on upcoming cod aquaculture production in Norway stating that “we must learn from the serious mistakes that were made in the development of salmon farming, and ensure that cod farming does not become a threat to the wild cod and other life along the coast”.
Cod & wild salmon – iconic species for Europe’s angling community
No fish has been more important to Norwegians than cod – writes EAA member NJFF.
“It built our country. For almost 1000 years, it was our largest export, and without it we would have had neither Nidaros Cathedral nor the settlement along the coast. It is still an important commercial resource – and the most important fish for recreational fishing in the sea. Now it is struggling.” – NJFF.
“Wild salmon, on the other hand, has always meant a lot to people along the watercourses. It has provided food on the table, income for the river owners and great experiences for the anglers” – adds the organization.
The wild salmon is listed as near threatened (NT)in the Norwegian Red List and many stocks have already become extinct. Norway is obliged to take care of it through international conventions. Yet the country is about to fail warns NJFF.
The European Anglers Alliance (EAA) fully supports strong measures to protect and restore weak wild Atlantic salmon stocks and agrees with the scientific assessment that several river populations are at serious risk.
EAA underlines that recreational fishing is not the cause of weak salmon stocks. The main drivers of decline are low post-smolt survival, migration barriers, habitat degradation, altered marine ecosystems (through e.g. open-pen aquaculture) and increasing predation pressure from e.g. cormorants (full EAA position on wild salmon populations via this link).
Business development with major darks sides – warns NJFF
NJFF writes that “Today, Norway is a global giant in this industry, but along the way we are about to lose a piece of Norwegian nature. The influx of salmon into the rivers has been halved since the 80s. Sea trout has not received as much attention as the salmon, but it is, if possible, even more vulnerable in the farming-intensive areas”.
“Aquaculture has many upsides and is indisputably an important industry nationally, but a prerequisite must be to have an industry that is sustainable for nature. It is not today. The documentation of the negative effect salmon farming has on our wild salmon fish is thorough and clear” – underlines NJFF.
Emerging risks in Cod aquaculture – a call for caution
“Now a new farming adventure is emerging – and a new piece of Norwegian nature may be in danger: the cod” writes NJFF, cod is a species which is already struggling heavily!
“It has been a long time since coastal cod was plentiful, and as a result, cod prices have risen and farming can become more profitable. A number of facilities for farmed cod have already been established, open facilities with free flow of water in and out.” according to NJFF.
In December, the Institute of Marine Research presented the report “Negative effects on coastal cod stocks as a result of open cages in the sea“. It points out, among other things, that the production of farmed cod tripled in just two years. Nevertheless, the volume of 165,000 tonnes is far from being reached – which can be produced in the approved facilities.
The report points out that there is not enough knowledge about the consequences of cod farming, and that escapes and spawning in cages are the greatest environmental risks, which NJFF is also concerned about.
Cod can – unlike salmon – spawn in the cages, and the risk of genetic interference with wild cod outside the cages is imminent. There are also challenges related to diseases and parasites that can arise and increase in number in the facilities.
Close the cages, argues NJFF
Soon there will be a new assessment of Norway’s “traffic light system”, where the salmon farming industry will know whether they get a green, yellow or red light based on how salmon lice affect wild salmon in each of the 13 production areas along the Norwegian coast. The colour determines whether the farmers can maintain production, must reduce or are allowed to grow.
In recent years, more and more areas have been colored yellow and red. NJFF writes that “last year accounted for a record increase in the amount of farmed fish – and that there has been great growth since the traffic light system was introduced”. This testifies to a system that certainly does not work in the best interests of the environment – according to NJFF.
“If we allow cod farming to grow unrestrained, as we have allowed with salmon farming, the consequences could be very dramatic for our most important fish species. The upside is that with regard to cod farming, we are in the industry’s infancy. It is still possible to put on the brakes and make good environmental choices.” says Øyvind Fjeldseth, head of the Norges Jeger-of Fiskerforbund’s department of expertise and EAA member.
NJFF request Norwegian authorities to establish a national framework and legislation that sets strict environmental requirements and strong incentives to phase all aquaculture into zero-emission facilities.
“If we want the wild Atlantic salmon, sea trout and coastal cod to survive in the future, the cages must be closed, and this must happen quickly” – concludes NJFF.
EAA position on aquaculture
Wild Atlantic salmon are in rapid decline across Europe, largely due to the proven impacts of open-net salmon farming. According to the EAA, two key factors critically endanger wild Atlantic salmon stocks, both are related to the captive salmon aquaculture farming sector:
- salon lice and
- escaped farmed salmon.
The EAA recognizes that the past legislation aimed at preventing the decline of wild salmonids has been unsuccessful. Also, further action is needed to tackle the two main problems wild salmon is facing.
The EAA calls upon European decision-makers to allow only the construction of new fish farms, or the extension of existing ones, in closed systems. The association also demands that all fish farms adopt closed systems by 2030.
Read the full EAA position on (Open Pen) aquaculture via this link.
Sources and further reading
Can Norwegian nature withstand a new “farming adventure”? – NJFF
