Do salmon recipes work for cod? Environmental challenges and regulatory pathways in Norwegian aquaculture

Aquaculture governance in Norway has largely developed around the rapid expansion of Atlantic salmon farming, while repeated efforts to establish cod aquaculture have resulted in limited and discontinuous production. Recent improvements in breeding, biological performance, and market conditions have, however, renewed commercial interest in cod farming and raised a central policy question: to what extent can regulatory frameworks developed for salmon be transferred to cod aquaculture? This paper addresses this question through a comparative governance analysis of Norwegian salmon and cod aquaculture across six challenge domains: (1) escapes and genetic interaction with wild stocks; (2) fish health and welfare; (3) environmental emissions; (4) access to areas, social license and production permits; (5) incentives for innovation and technological development; and (6) the interaction between fisheries management and aquaculture market conditions. The analysis shows that some regulatory instruments are broadly transferable across species, particularly general rules related to operations, disease reporting, and environmental monitoring. However, the findings also demonstrate important cases of regulatory misfit. In particular, cod-specific risks associated with net-biting behavior, spawning in cages, and interaction with vulnerable coastal cod stocks are not adequately addressed by a framework primarily shaped around salmon. The paper argues that Norwegian aquaculture governance needs to move beyond a one-size-fits-all model and develop more species-sensitive regulatory approaches. It further suggests that innovation policy, especially support for closed and semi-closed production systems, may become increasingly important if environmental risks are to be contained while enabling future growth in both sectors.