Iceland aquaculture growth faces resistance
PLANS for a major expansion of salmon farming on the East Coast of Iceland are meeting with resistance - not from the usual environmental lobby suspects, but from an established fishing and seafood processing company, writes Vince McDonagh.
The board of that company, Loðnuvinnslan, based in the town of Fáskrúðsfjörður, which lies on a fjord of the same name, is calling for the two projects either to be subjected to more official scrutiny or scaled back because of the environmental damage they claim it could do to the area.
This latest row reflects the dilemma facing Iceland as it prepares for a significant expansion of its current modest fish farming sector over the next decade.
The country has studied the prosperity aquaculture has brought to isolated areas of Norway and believes it too can reap some of those benefits.
But there are arguments over where to locate the farms. A government consultative study was published last year and final recommendations are awaited.
The one certainty is that this latest controversy will not be the last as Iceland begins to get serious about growing its fish farming industry.
A number of small communities outside approved areas which have lost their traditional land based fish processing factories now want to be in the frame for fish farming investment because of the employment it will bring.
The two companies hoping to build fish farms in Fáskrúðsfjörður (population 662) are Fiskeldi Austfjarðar (Ice Fish Farm) and Laxar Fiskeldi. Together they are looking to produce around 15,000 tonnes of salmon a year.
Loðnuvinnslan, which owns a couple of trawlers and a processing plant in the town, says in a letter of protest to Iceland’s Environment and Planning Agency that the proposals are currently under review without including a comprehensive assessment of the impact on the biosphere and the effect on the fjord itself.
It says Fiskeldi Aust- fjarðar already has a licence for 3,000 tonnes of salmon which has yet to be implemented, but it is now looking to add a further 7,850 tonnes to its production plan. Laxar Fiskeldi wants to produce a further 4,000 tonnes in the fjord.
Loðnuvinnslan, which has been in business since 2001, claims that if the two applications are allowed to go ahead it will lead to considerable waste related pollution and sewage in the fjord. This, it says, will affect the quality of the marine environment and, in turn, its production facility.
There are also believed to be concerns about labour shortages. The company employs 150 people in a relatively underpopulated area and also has freezing, cold storage and ice production facilities.
It points out that the while the fjord itself may be 1,300m wide, shipping is confined to a 400m corridor and if fish farms are constructed in the waterway, vessel movements will be severely restricted, adding to costs and other problems.
Loðnuvinnslan also said it was surprised that the aquaculture growth plans had been in preparation for the past four years yet no one had bothered to consult the views of the company.
As for the two fish farming companies involved, Fiskeldi Austfjarðar is barely six years old and is already well established in the east of Iceland, producing sea reared trout and salmon, as well as its own smolt.
It says it operates an eco-friendly fish farming business and has received Aqua Gap verification on its production and harvesting. Currently, it holds an 11,000 tonnes licence but has applied for additional capacity for 43,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, Laxar Fiskeldi says it wants to ‘develop a dynamic salmon farming activity’ in sea cages in the eastern fjords region of Iceland with plans to eventually build up production to 25,000 tonnes.
It adds on its website: ‘From the maricultural point of view, the East Fjords of Iceland provide favourable natural conditions. The area is tried and tested for salmon farming. The results are promising in terms of robust growth rates and the absence of pancreas disease and salmon lice.’