Anger over Mowi and Lerøy processing exemption

A DECISION by Norway’s food safety authority to grant Mowi and Lerøy Seafood exemption from some of the country’s tough processing rules has come under fire from other sections within the industry. The main rule, brought in a number of years ago to protect the reputation of Norwegian seafood, states that salmon and other fish with certain defects…

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Salmon farmers keep fresh food on the table

SCOTLAND’S salmon farmers are continuing to supply fresh produce to consumers during the coronavirus crisis despite increasingly challenging conditions. Those working on farms and throughout the supply chain are being provided with appropriate safety and hygiene protection and guidance, according to a statement issued by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) this morning. ‘The critical…

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Vietnam and India fish farmers facing export crisis

FARMED fish exporters in Vietnam are reporting a 50 per cent drop in contract orders due to the coronavirus crisis, the country’s seafood exporters association is reporting. Vietnam is one of the world’s major fish farming countries with large markets in the UK, Europe, the United States and, most notably, China where the outbreak began three months…

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Confusion in Scotland over ‘key worker’ status

SCOTLAND’S food producers have urged the devolved government to provide clarity, in line with the rest of the UK, over which members of staff can be defined as key workers. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, national advice has been issued identifying key workers as including those involved in the production, delivery and sale of…

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Ferry curbs to safeguard rural life

MEASURES to safeguard Scotland’s rural communities have been introduced in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced over the weekend that ferries will no longer take visitors to the islands. Only locals and those travelling to and from the mainland for essential supplies or business will be permitted…

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Wellboat pioneer invests in land based

SØLVTRANS founder Roger Halsebakk has jumped on the land based salmon bandwagon, investing in Norwegian company Salmon Evolution. Halsebakk, owner of Ronja Capital, the world’s largest wellboat business, is the biggest new investor in the project, which aims to farm 36,000 tonnes of salmon using flow-through technology. Salmon Evolution announced today that it had raised…

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Salmon transported in empty passenger planes

WITH air travel bans in place, salmon farming companies in Norway are finding alternative ways of getting their product to market. And one option has been to use passenger aircraft devoid of passengers, but which are equipped with cargo carrying holds and pallets, even if it means charging extra for salmon to cover the extra costs.…

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Postponed boat show ‘will take place this year’

THE Seawork boat show in Southampton, scheduled for June 9-11, has joined the growing list of coronavirus casualties. Organiser Mercator Media announced yesterday that the exhibition has now been postponed, adding ‘we are doing all we can to ensure the events can take place in 2020’. ‘Our experienced team can react swiftly to developing events…

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Fourth seafood minister this year for Norway

NORWAY has its fifth fisheries and seafood minister in just over 18 months – and the fourth this year. Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen takes over from ex-journalist and current labour minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, who was appointed in a stop-gap capacity last month after Geir Inge Sivertsen resigned in a row over severance payments. Two weeks earlier, Harald…

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Iceland raises farmed fish quota by 34,000 tonnes

ICELAND has dramatically increased the amount of farmed fish that can be produced in the country each year. The Marine Research Institute (MRI) has recently carried out an updated risk assessment and set a figure of 105,000 tonnes, most of which is certain to be salmon. This compares with the MRI’s earlier maximum of 71,000 tonnes. However,…

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