The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is pushing back against Norway’s plan to tax certified fish at a higher rate than non-certified fish.
Norway is reportedly considering changes to its resource rent tax on Norwegian farmed salmon, trout, and rainbow trout. As part of the changes, ASC certified salmon will reportedly be subject to an additional NOK 2.00 (USD 0.18, EUR 0.17) per kilogram surcharge, according to a newsletter released by law firm Wiersholm.
According to a letter sent by ASC CEO Chris Ninnes to the Norway Ministry of Finance, there has been little public disclosure about the tax, and ASC only learned it was being referenced in the new proposal through Wiersholm’s letter.
“We have not been informed officially that ASC certified salmon is part of the proposal with an additional cost proposed, nor have we been identified and included as a key stakeholder in the consultation process. This omission has placed ASC at a clear disadvantage,” Ninnes wrote.
The newsletter from Wiersholm only mentions the ASC, and said that it would be given a surcharge compared to “superior salmon.” According to the ASC more than 40 percent of salmon farms in Norway are certified to the ASC standard, and would be negatively impacted by the tax.
Despite the ASC being directly named, Ninnes said it hasn’t been given any details on the proposal, or the mechanisms of how the pricing will work.
“The lack of public disclosure and transparency about the detail of these proposal means that ASC was only made aware on 21 January 2025 through general business conversations with partners that ASC is referenced in the plan,” Ninnes wrote. “ASC has therefore been unable to comment and raise our concerns through the consultation process, (which seems to only include producers) and which closed on 17 January 2025. ASC was also not invited to consultation meetings which we understand were arranged for 28 and 29 January 2025.”
Based on the information its managed to gather so far, Ninnes said the government’s plans will have serious consequences for the ASC and for the sustainability of Norway’s aquaculture.
“By putting an additional tax on ASC-certified fish, the proposal sends the wrong message to the market and is effectively attacking and punishing farms who choose to operate responsibly and to the highest standards,” Ninnes wrote. “We believe this is illogical and contrary to policies supported by European and international organizations, and indeed the Norwegian Government, to drive improvement in responsible practice across the farmed seafood industry.”
Ninnes said the tax would also send a poor message overseas at a time when the salmon farming industry is already under pressure from activist campaigns pushing against the sale of farmed salmon.
“The social license to operate of Norwegian farmed salmon is under increasing pressure, and ASC with our transparency and data around performance has been essential in defending the producers who have chosen to become certified,” Ninnes wrote. “If numbers of ASC certified farms drop in Norway, then it will impact on the social license of the industry in Norway.”
This isn’t the first time there has been debate over the tax. Norway first proposed a 40 percent resource rent tax on aquaculture operations in 2022. In the months that followed uncertainty over the scale of the tax resulted in companies announcing layoffs, the termination of planned permit purchases, and reduced investment.
Norway ultimately decided to institute the tax at a reduced rate of 25 percent, with salmon companies vowing to continue fighting against it. Recently, Norway’s Conservative Party proposed reducing the salmon tax, and pledged to improve conditions for the aquaculture industry in Norway.
