The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has reiterated its complete opposition to a Norwegian proposal that would tax ASC-certified fish at a higher rate.
The ASC first pushed back against the proposal in early February after only learning of it from a newsletter released by law firm Wiersholm. At the time, ASC CEO Chris Ninnes wrote to the Norway Ministry of Finance pushing for more public disclosure on the tax and for input on the proposal.
“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 at the time.
The ASC said Norway’s Norm Price Council has since announced its plan to charge an additional NOK 1.5 (USD 0.13, EUR 0.12) tax per kilogram for ASC certified fish, and the ASC said that the additional tax will only serve to hamper aquaculture sustainability efforts in Norway.
“We understand that this addition to the norm price is purely fiscal and intended to generate revenue,” ASC Producer Outreach and Regional Manager Laetitia Rosing said in a release. “Nevertheless, the added fee will undermine several years of progress towards more sustainable aquaculture in Norway. This is a tax on accountability when authorities should make it attractive for farmers to choose the most responsible and transparent certification scheme on the market.”
Rosing added that the proposal by the Norm Price Council shows a lack of understanding of how certification schemes and market forces interact with each other.
“Instead of promoting sustainability, this tax creates a zero-sum game where the consequence is weaker environmental standards and increased reputational risk for the Norwegian aquaculture industry,” Rosing said.
The ASC said there will be negative consequences for the salmon aquaculture industry in Norway, including making sustainable salmon more expensive. It said that could come with increased reputational risk for Norwegian salmon while export markets are asking for strong sustainability commitments.
ASC also said the move could reduce investments in innovation regarding sustainability and set back sustainability goals as environmental requirements weaken.
“This decision will be a direct step backwards for responsible aquaculture. The Norm Price Council may not have intended to oppose sustainability, but that is precisely what they are doing,” Rosing said. “We urge the Norwegian authorities to re-evaluate this tax and enter into dialogue to find a fair and balanced solution that does not punish those who are leading the industry towards a more responsible future.”
ASC said it has repeatedly attempted to contact Norwegian authorities to enter into a dialogue and discuss the consequences of a tax on its fish – but so far those requests have gone completely unanswered.
“How can an internationally recognized environmental organization be completely ignored in a decision that directly affects our work?” Rosing said. “If the goal was truly to ensure fair taxation in the industry, alternative solutions should have been considered. Instead, Norwegian authorities, without dialogue with ASC, which is explicitly mentioned in the decision, have introduced a policy that opposes sustainable production.”
