The Norwegian Food Safety Authority says yes to the plans for Toftøya!

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The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has given the green light to Helgeland Miljøfisk's plans for a land-based fish farm on Toftøya in Brønnøy.
On Friday afternoon, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority announced that it is reversing its rejection decision and approving Helgeland Miljøfisk's land-based venture. This means that the facility, which when fully developed will provide between 200 and 300 jobs, is one big step closer to being realised. All that's needed now is a permit from the State Administrator of Nordland, before Nordland County Council can issue the licence.
- At long last! We've been waiting for this message for a long time. It's been a long process, over three years! I'm relieved and happy that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has upheld our complaint and granted us a licence," says CEO Sten Roald Lorentzen of Helgeland Miljøfisk.

Black out everything
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has put its foot down on the fish farming plans on several previous occasions, most recently in January. At that time, the NFSA justified its rejection on the grounds that Helgeland Miljøfisk did not plan to purify the intake water, had not planned to have a roof over the land-based fish farms, or had established adequate plans for internal control and biosecurity.
- "Since then, we've worked intensively to find good enough solutions, and we therefore expected a yes. It's incredibly good to get it in black and white," says Lorentzen.
In the decision, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority writes that the measures described in the complaint mean that the risk of infection to, within and from the plant will now be acceptable.
- Based on the new information in the case, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's Aquaculture Supervision Division is reversing its decision in the case, according to the Authority.

Waiting for a new answer
Lorentzen is keeping his fingers crossed that the State Administrator of Nordland will soon give the green light for the land-based fish farm, where the plan is to produce up to 40,000 tonnes of fish a year.
According to the Pollution Control Act, the State Administrator must grant a permit, but after several years of processing, the State Administrator in Nordland rejected the application in February. This came despite a written message from the company stating that "they signed a licence". Helgeland Miljøfisk has appealed the decision and is now awaiting the outcome of the new procedure.
- "We believe we have answered all of the questions and objections from the State Administrator, in the same way as we have from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. We expect to receive authorisation from them as well," says Lorentzen.
He hopes to start building and construction activities at Toft in the course of the year.
- That is definitely the plan. The Toftøya venture will mean a lot for Helgeland. We are fortunate to have many people supporting us on the road to our goal. We really appreciate that support. We are now one step closer," says Sten Roald Lorentzen, CEO of Helgeland Miljøfisk.