Two of the world's largest equipment suppliers to the aquaculture industry, Norway-based Akva Group and ScaleAQ, have seen spending by salmon farming companies grind to a halt following the Norwegian government's aquaculture tax proposal was announced last September.

In the past six months, investments in new equipment and facilities of NOK 40 billion (€3.5 billion/$3.8 billion) have been stopped, put on hold or completely scrapped.

And the update to the tax plan issued on March 28 has done little to convince the suppliers that the situation will change anytime soon.