November 7, 2023

 

Icelandic consumer associate keen in labelling salmon produced in sea pens

 

The Consumers' Association of Iceland (Neytendasamtökin) has recently expressed interest in labelling salmon raised in sea pens, following a similar statement from Norway.

 

The interest in labelling follows in the wake of several recent escapes from aquaculture farms in Iceland which have raised environmental concerns. Such labelling would report the health of the salmon at its time of slaughter.

 

The medical history of farm-raised salmon may soon find its way onto Norwegian labels.

 

Inger Lise Blyverket, head of the Consumer Council in Norway, recently stated to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK that she believes "many consumers would welcome a labelling system for salmon."

 

Although salmon is marketed as a premium product, there is no indication on the packaging that the fish may have been sick, she said. Salmon with various diseases such as gill disorders, parasites and heart diseases are slaughtered and sold in stores. Inger announced that the Consumer Council intends to end this practice and that it is time for the aquaculture industry in Norway to label salmon according to its health at the time of slaughter.

 

"Both Norwegian salmon producers and other food manufacturers need to realise that consumers want to know more about the production conditions and animal welfare," Inger said to NRK.

 

Like Iceland, Norway has also had an ongoing public debate about farm-raised salmon and aquaculture, including recent mass deaths at one of Norway's largest aquaculture concerns.

 

Some have pushed back against the recent suggestions, including Jon Arne Grøttum, aquaculture director at the Norwegian Seafood Federation. In an interview with NRK, he stressed that as seafood diseases are not transmitted to humans, such labelling would be unnecessary.

 

"Everything around us is full of bacteria and viruses; they're everywhere, but that doesn't necessarily impact food safety," Jon stated. "I can't see that it has any purpose. First, it's not about food safety. Secondly, it is very difficult to implement: you would have to conduct an examination of each fish, even if you know the cause. Thirdly, it's a bit strange to introduce this type of labelling for salmon and not for other animal meat production."

 

Breki Karlsson, the chairperson of the Consumers' Association of Iceland, recently stated to RÚV that he supports labelling. He added that consumers have the right to receive information about the origin of food, especially salmon, which has been the subject of recent discussions due to recent escapes and lice infestations.

 

Berglind Harpa Bergsdóttir, a veterinarian specialist monitoring the health and welfare of farmed fish at the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), also told RÚV that many diseased fish are slaughtered for human consumption in Iceland. She mentioned a 2021 case of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA), a viral disease that causes severe anaemia in fish. At that time, a notification was sent out by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, both about the outbreak and that some of the fish were used for human consumption.

- Iceland Review