Prepared for the worst? Emergency preparedness in Norwegian fish farming – Status and further improvements

Abstract

Norwegian fish farming has traditionally taken place in open net pens at the coast and in the fjords. With the aim of utilising new areas, innovative farm designs for open ocean locations have emerged in recent years. The government is developing a regulatory framework for operating in these areas. Increased distance to shore will require a robust emergency preparedness for personnel, fish, environment, food safety and material assets.This article provides new knowledge regarding the status of emergency preparedness in the Norwegian salmon fish farming industry, describes the risk picture for coastal versus offshore production sites and suggests improvements for establishing emergency preparedness.Methods include document studies, interviews, workshops and dialogue meetings with fish farmers, suppliers and authorities.Findings support that preventive work and learning from accidents are seen as important, but also that emergency response plans may become too extensive and that more can be done when it comes to cooperation across companies. Key improvements include performing systematic emergency preparedness analysis, standardizing emergency preparedness performance requirements, and working together across companies. For offshore fish farming, synergies with other industries are key for the quality of emergency preparedness in the future.