Permit Issues

Locations being considered for this project are shown in picture 4. A resting time for each area is assumed, which is why rotation areas for the rafts must also be applied for. Green (first choice cultivation areas) and red (rotation areas) marks in the map identify areas that are currently applied for. The project has already received experimental licences for Skötufjörður.

Under current laws and regulations, it is expected the necessary permits will be granted. There are, however, several objections and comments from different stakeholders, including fishing vessels that use the area. A conflict of interest is possible. It is worth pointing out that, at this stage, several similar permits have been issued.

Distance limits to other projects have also been respected.

Given the scale of the proposed farming it is expected that the project will have to undergo an EIA assessment. The Icelandic National Planning Agency has recently ruled that a 7,000-tonne salmon fish farm does not need to undergo EIA for its proposed activities in the Westfjords. However, as a result of complaints over the decision, a final conclusion on the project has not been filed. It can be assumed that possible licensing issues will affect, and thus change, this project. The following section discusses blue mussel farming and its environmental impacts.