Aker Seafoods is expressing dismay over a Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs proposal to amend cod-landing rules that it says could devastate the country’s whitefish-processing industry.
Released on Tuesday for public comment, the measure would set new rules on mandatory landing obligations for cod trawlers. It would also introduced a mandatory purchase obligation when there is coinciding ownership of vessels and production facilities and would require vessels to report landings to Norwegian Fishermens’ Sales Organization within a certain time.
The proposal, said Aker, is a direct consequence of recommendations changing the structure of northern Norway’s seafood-processing industry made by advisors to Norway Seafoods, Aker’s processing arm.
?“We have clearly stated that these changes will require prior approval from the Norwegiain fisheries authorities,” said Aker CEO Olav Holst-Dyrnes. “We therefore do not understand why the government’s proposal is put forward before the recommendations regarding the future structure of the processing industry have been considered by Norway Seafoods and the authorities. If the government’s proposal is implemented it could affect future profitability and investment capacity in Aker Seafoods.”
