Smøla receives over 70 million kroner from Aquaculture Fund in Norway

The mayor of Smøla, Svein Roksvåg, expressed his delight after the municipality received over 70 million Norwegian kroner from the Aquaculture Fund, marking a significant financial boost. Smøla is now the top beneficiary in Møre og Romsdal, an announcement that brought relief and excitement to the local government. “The atmosphere was good when we learned how much money was coming in. We have never received this much before,” Roksvåg stated.

On Monday, members of parliament Geir Inge Lien and Per Vidar Kjølmoen gathered at Hustadvika Upper Secondary School to announce that municipalities will receive a record 3.7 billion kroner from the Aquaculture Fund in 2024. Coastal municipalities are expected to benefit significantly from this increase, attributed to high auction revenues and a new government arrangement that allocates a larger share back to local and county municipalities.

Despite this financial windfall, many municipalities and counties are grappling with economic challenges due to overspending, rising prices, and interest rates. Møre og Romsdal County, in particular, has faced severe cutbacks in the past year, raising costs for public transport. As discussions of new budget cuts loom for the county government, Lien noted that this funding could ease the budgetary process and allow local leaders to decide whether to use the funds for operations or savings.

County mayor Anders Riise welcomed the increase but cautioned that while the influx of 78 million kroner is beneficial, it won’t completely solve the ongoing crisis. Funding decisions will be critical to maintaining services like ferry operations and the quality of secondary education, but Riise believes cuts may still be necessary as financial challenges persist.