Norwegian fish farms polluting fjords with waste likened to raw sewage of millions of people
A new report has found that Norwegian salmon farms are polluting fjords and coastal waters with nutrient waste comparable to the untreated sewage of tens of millions of people.
Analysis from the Sunstone Institute found Norway’s aquaculture industry released 75,000 tonnes of nitrogen, 13,000 tonnes of phosphorus, and 360,000 tonnes of organic carbon into coastal waters in 2025, fueling concerns about algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and long-term ecosystem damage in vulnerable fjord systems.
Researchers warned that waste from open-net salmon farms is accumulating in semi-enclosed fjords already stressed by warming waters, while critics argue the industry is operating beyond environmental limits. The pollution levels were described as equivalent to the raw sewage output of a country the size of Australia.
The Norwegian Seafood Federation said current production remains within nature’s carrying capacity, but environmental groups and scientists are calling for stricter regulation and a transition away from open-net pen farming to prevent further ecological degradation.