Faroese salmon producer Bakkafrost cleared in multimillion-fine case

A high-profile case involving Faroese salmon producer Bakkafrost and a potential fine of 67 million Danish kroner has been dropped, Faroese broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya reports.

The investigation began in December 2021 after the Faroese Food and Veterinary Authority (fúti) notified the Prime Minister’s Office of a possible violation by Bakkafrost. The case gained public attention when an internal phone memo from the Prime Minister’s Office was leaked, revealing the authority had contacted officials about the company facing a potential 67 million kroner penalty.

However, the Food and Veterinary Authority confirmed last week that the case had been closed, stating in a radio interview on April 20 that “one party was dismissed, and the other could not be prosecuted.”

Christian Andreasen, a lawyer for Bakkafrost, told Kringvarp Føroya that the initial report to the authority had been erroneous. The case, which had been serious enough to prompt the authority to alert the government, has now been abandoned entirely.