Call for ban on netpen salmon farming in Iceland could stymie sector's expansion in the country

Twenty-five organizations are calling for an end to netpen salmon farming in Iceland, according to a report from the Norwegian embassy in Iceland.

The quest to end netpen farming was launched soon after Norwegian salmon giant SalMar's Icelandic company Arnarlax suffered escapes in 2021.

In 2010, Iceland produced just 1,100 metric tons of farmed salmon. According market research firm Kontali, the country was expected to produce 49,350 metric tons in 2022.

There are about 50,000 wild salmon in Iceland, and the escape is a environmental disaster that could seriously affect the wild salmon population, according to the non-profit organization North Atlantic Salmon Fund, which is behind the report.