Environmental committee revokes licenses for Arctic Sea Farm and Arnarlax in Ísafjarðardjúp, Iceland

The Environmental and Natural Resources Appeals Committee has revoked part of the operational license for Arctic Sea Farm, initially granted by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) for aquaculture in Ísafjarðardjúp. The committee’s decision also annulled the license given to Arnarlax earlier this year.

The revoked license for Arctic Sea Farm included three locations in Ísafjarðardjúp, permitting the cultivation of 8,000 tons of rainbow trout and salmon at Arnarnes, Kirkjusund, and Sandeyri. Specifically, the licenses for fish farming in the areas of Arnarnes and Kirkjusund were overturned; however, the license for Sandeyri remains intact.

Arctic Fish, the parent company, stated that this decision would not significantly impact their operations or outlook, affirming that the permitted biomass will still amount to 8,000 tons in Ísafjarðardjúp.

In another ruling, the committee revoked a license for Arnarlax that allowed for 10,000 tons of non-breeding salmon at three specified sites: Óshlíð, Eyjahlíð, and Drangsvík. Nonetheless, the committee rejected a request to annul MAST’s decision to renew the operational license for Arctic Sea Farm in Patreks- and Tálknafirði, which includes a newly designated fish farming area in Kvígindisdal.

The developments in these cases underscore ongoing regulatory shifts in Iceland’s aquaculture sector as authorities continue to evaluate the environmental implications of fish farming practices.