Aller Aqua Norge faces trial over 35,000 escaped salmon.
Aller Aqua Norge, the Norwegian subsidiary of Danish feed company Aller Aqua, goes to trial on 18 August 2025 over a 2022 salmon escape that saw approximately 35,000 fish leave its Floteneset site in Vadheimsfjorden, Sogn.
The escape, which occurred on the night of 29 October 2022, involved sexually mature salmon and fish carrying disease during the wild salmon spawning season in Sognefjorden. The incident posed a potential threat to the region’s already vulnerable wild salmon population, according to the public prosecutor.
The company was initially fined NOK 4.5 million, a penalty it refused to pay. In response, the state increased the claim by an additional NOK 1 million and added legal costs.
The trial is scheduled for seven days in the district court, according to sources.
The case is being closely watched by industry and environmental groups, highlighting ongoing concerns over containment and biosecurity practices in Norwegian aquaculture, which is the country’s largest seafood export sector.
Tasmanian salmon issue gets political
Tasmania’s salmon industry has criticised the state government’s decision to halt marine farming expansion and launch an independent review, calling it a political move that undermines earlier commitments.
Tassal diver Oliver Brewer said workers were being used as “a political tool to appease Greens and Independents” but added he had “full faith in my industry that it will do the right thing and any review will have a positive outcome,” according to reporting from Australian broadcaster ABC.
Salmon Tasmania chief executive John Whittington described the announcement as “a shameless sellout,” saying, “The premier’s words are worthless and clearly no industry is safe.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff defended the review, saying it should be “embraced” and that salmon farming had a “positive future” in the state. “Embrace the fact that we are wanting to support the industry become better,” he said.
Labor’s aquaculture spokesperson Janie Finlay called the decision another policy backflip, arguing it showed Rockliff was “saying anything to cling to power.” Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said Labor’s criticism was “fair” but pressed for stronger commitments.
The Bob Brown Foundation dismissed the pause as inadequate. Campaigner Alistair Allan said it was a “cynical ploy that does nothing to protect Tasmania’s environment” and pointed to previous pauses that failed to curb expansion.
Independent MP Peter George, who with Craig Garland proposed the moratorium, said he wanted assurances the inquiry’s findings would be respected. “What we can’t afford to do is have a pause, have an inquiry, and then have the government totally ignore it,” he said.
I cannot believe the fools who blindly think fish farming is the ultimate. One such fool is Shane Jones who happens to be Minister of Fisheries. He should forget about fantasising and focus on managing the sea fisheries properly and getting the meagre talents of his ministry to bring sea fish to the NZ consumer at an affordable price. Snapper $60/kg, blue cod $75/kg!
While he is about that, get rid of the QMS, it’s just a gilt edged arena for the corporates.
Commonly farmed fish species around the world are salmon, shrimp, catfish, and trout. Like farming stock on land, this booming industry has become heavily industrialised, with corporates dominating.
It is an industry that sees fish as products, not living beings. Animal welfare is low. The number of fish raised and killed by aquaculture each year are even counted not as individuals, but by their total weight in tons.
They claim aquaculture can stop the overfishing of the wild fishery with a high demand for seafood – but in the shops seafood is grossly over-priced with many populations of wild fish over exploited. Think of orange roughy. Fish farming can endanger wild species, too. For example, the escape of thousands of fish from an Icelandic salmon farm will put wild salmon at risk. Wholesale catching of pilchards to feed salmon farms endangers other fish species-and sea birds- that feed on pilchards. It disrupts the food chain.
Undeniably, aquaculture is simply factory farming like factory farming of cows, pigs, and caged chickens.
Be cautious about the claim that farmed salmon escapees harm wild fish stocks. Like most such generalizations the location is critical. In areas where wild stocks are declining it is better to enhance the population OR deal with the other factors that contribute to the decline. Where the other factors are politically difficult then former farmed salmon offer anglers at least an option.