A salmon tax: could Norway’s plan share the benefits of the seas?

Oslo wants to raise taxes on its aquaculture industry, which could provide a model for how to better manage the marine environment

Norway supplies more than half of the world's farmed salmon - a whopping 1.5m tonnes last year. After fossil fuels, it is the country's largest source of national income, and a hugely lucrative one: in 2022, operating profit margins for Norway's salmon farmers were estimated at 45%.

Last September, the Norwegian government set out a proposal to raise taxes on the industry. Aimed at sharing the profits of one the country's key resources, the idea was widely described as a salmon tax", and set at 40% (on top of 22% corporation tax).