Norway rejects proposal for land-based salmon and trout facility
The company developing the project near Bergen says it will appeal the decision and remains optimistic it can start construction this year.
Helgeland Miljofisk said on Wednesday its application to build a land-based salmon and trout project on an island close to Bergen had been rejected by Norwegian authorities on the grounds that its infection prevention measures were inadequate.
The Norwegian company said in a statement it would appeal the decision by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
"Our goal is still to start construction this year, as planned,” Helgeland Miljofisk CEO Sten Roald Lorentzen said in the statement.
"Work to resolve the challenges that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has pointed out is already underway,” he said, “and we have great faith in finding solutions that will allow the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to approve the facility.”
Helgeland Miljofisk plans to produce up to 40,000 metric tons per year at the facility in Toftoya, Vestland county.
Lorentzen said he had expected approval from authorities.
“It has been over four years since we submitted the formal application,” he said. “The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has had it under consideration for two years and 10 months. We therefore thought all the questions had been answered and were surprised that we were rejected.”
The land-based project requires approval from both the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the local state administrator. The company is awaiting a response from the latter on a separate application.
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