Contested knowledges, contested responsibilities: The EU Water Framework Directive and salmon farming in Norway

Abstract

Movik, S. & Stokke, K.B. 2015. Contested knowledges, contested responsibilities: The EU Water Framework Directive and salmon farming in Norway. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift–Norwegian Journal of Geography Vol. 00, 00–00. ISSN 0029-1951Norway has signed the European Union's Water Framework Directive (WFD), according to which all water bodies are expected to have ‘good ecological status’ by 2021. An ongoing debate about the environmental impacts of aquaculture is related particularly to the impact on wild salmon of the spread of salmon lice and escaped farmed fish. The authors examine the key arguments concerning the environmental impact of salmon farming, and how knowledge is produced and marshalled in the dispute. How does the framing of knowledge and authority affect the apportioning of responsibility for taking appropriate measures to mitigate negative effects? The questions are addressed by drawing on insights from critical political ecology and work on governance scales, and by analysing relevant documents and ‘grey’ literature in combination with in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key actors. The authors find that there are biases within the research environments that tend to reinforce existing divisions between the environmental authorities and fisheries authorities. Disagreements about the appropriate scientific approaches to assessing sustainability are a barrier to co-operation and planning, and the consensus needed to implement appropriate measures will depend on clarification at the national level.