Norway's government leaves offshore aquaculture companies in limbo, declines to apply new ground rent tax to emerging sector

The Norwegian government's update on the country's new 25 percent ground rent tax on salmon farmers released Friday did not include a proposal to apply the tax to the emerging offshore fish farming sector.

The offshore industry itself has repeatedly requested a tax on the sector, and Norway's Fisheries Minister Bjornar Skjaeran promised in August that details would be explained in connection with the 2024 budget proposal, which was presented Oct. 6.

Gustav Witzoe, the owner of SalMar, the world's second largest salmon company, has called for details on a potential offshore farming tax to be ironed out before the emerging industry develops further.