Following a meeting Friday with ministers and organizations representing Norwegian seafood companies, the government announced it is considering establishing an independent body to determine standard pricing as a basis for a new "ground rent" tax, but underlined that there will be a tax on aquaculture.

Salmon industry CEOs were less than impressed with the meeting.

"I am doubtful whether today's meeting will change anything," Svein Gustav Sinkaberg, CEO of SinkabergHansen, told IntraFish.

SinkabergHansen announced this week that it had sent layoff notices to 40 employees due to the dead contract market, and Sinkaberg said Friday's meeting would not change the outcome.