Governing for sustainability in the Norwegian aquaculture industry

Abstract

Aquaculture in Norway is expected to grow radically in the years to come. From both the government and from the industry itself, there is a demand for developing policies that can accommodate this intensification in activity. However, the aquaculture industry in Norway is also met with considerable skepticism and resistance. Both NGOs and several researchers have voiced concerns in the media, expressing a need for more insight into this resistance. This article explores the attitudes of local residents and stakeholder groups towards aquaculture through a qualitative field study in a small coastal community. Data shows that attitudes are not necessarily a matter of being for or against aquaculture. The issue at stake is sustainability, as what residents and stakeholder groups want is sustainable aquaculture. However, how the different groups interpreted sustainability differed, both between groups and depending on the circumstances. Our analysis shows that interpretations are embedded in different world-views or orders of worth. In this article, we give empirical insight into the expressed attitudes of various stakeholder groups, discuss the underlying values and indicate possible implications these findings can have for policy-making in the Norwegian coastal zone.