Norwegian Gannet’s green subsidies cut back
Green subsidies for the Norwegian Gannet salmon processing ship have been reduced after it became clear it would not be transferring as much tonnage from road transport to sea as originally envisaged.
The Hav Line vessel carries out processing on board and takes fish directly from salmon farms to the world’s largest salmon packaging facility in Hirtshals, Denmark. This reduces the requirement for lorries to transport fish from on-land processing plants to markets and transport hubs, and thus lowers Norway’s carbon footprint.
In 2018 the Norwegian Gannet received support of more than NOK30 million from the government’s green initiatives funding body Enova, the Norwegian Coastal Administration and county councils.
66,270 tonnes short
This was based on the expectation that the boat would transfer 212,488 tonnes of goods during a support period running from 2018 until 2021. However, Norwegian engineering website Teknisk Ukeblad reported today that the vessel will carry 66,270 fewer tonnes than originally anticipated during the period.
From January 2018 to the end of 2019, the boat carried 15,219 tonnes, which was less than a third of the projected volume of 47,900 tonnes. This year, the Norwegian Gannet is scheduled to carry 61,000 tonnes of goods instead of the 78,138 tonnes originally forecast. Next year, the estimate is 70,000 tonnes of goods, which has been reduced from 86,450 tonnes.
As the total is 66,270 fewer tonnes than originally estimated, the company will get NOK6.2m less in value, and correspondingly the same reduction in support from the Norwegian Coastal Administration, according to Teknisk Ukeblad.
Start-up phase
According to Hav Line, the lower freight transfer from 2018 to the end of 2019 is because the vessel has had a technical start-up phase.
Hav Line chief executive, Kristian Haugland, did not want to comment on the matter to Fish Farming Expert’s Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no.
The Norwegian Gannet was initially unable to operate as planned because the then Norwegian fisheries minister Harald Nesvik demanded that so-called production fish - fish with visible wounds, malformations and similar – must be sorted in Norway.
The government eventually gave the vessel temporary exemption from the requirement until July 1 this year, although Hav Line must still return all production fish to Norway.
‘Restrictive line’
The current government’s policy states that it “wants to continue a restrictive line regarding environmental requirements for the aquaculture industry and the handling of production fish”.
However, that policy was made when the Progress Party, which Nesvik belongs to, was part of the ruling coalition. The Progress Part left the coalition earlier this month and Nesvik has been replaced by Geir-Inge Sivertsen. It remains to be seen if he will make a change for Hav Line and the strict requirements set by Nesvik.
Sivertsen has stated to Kyst.no that he doesn’t yet know much about the Norwegian Gannet and that he must take more time to properly understand the case.
“I know it’s been discussed. From a political standpoint, it may be a demanding trade-off on local production, value creation or thinking about innovation and new ways of producing seafood,” said the minister.
