The fishmonger from Aarhus meets Grieg Seafood a scientists for a debate. Who is right about farmed salmon?
Fishmonger Jakob Clausen became a national celebrity in Denmark when he removed all farmed fish from his counter and publicly spoke out against the aquaculture industry. Clausen is a fifth-generation fishmonger and runs Denmark’s oldest fish shop in Aarhus. He believes that farmed salmon live undignified lives in their pens and, as a professional, he cannot vouch for the quality of the product.
“I believe we should focus on the food nature provides us, rather than selling farmed fish that have lived on pellets and swum around in cages at sea or on land,”
he said in a press release announcing his boycott of farmed fish.
Clausen will debate Liv Marit Årseth, Public relations manager at Grieg Seafood. Grieg Seafood has long been an international seafood company with salmon farming operations in Finnmark, Rogaland, and Canada. Starting in 2026, they will withdraw from Finnmark and Canada and focus all their efforts on Rogaland.
Grieg Seafood take pride in the salmon they deliver to shops and restaurants around the world. On their website, they emphasize that sustainability is fundamental to their operations:
“Sustainable farming practices are the foundation of Grieg Seafood's operations. The lowest possible environmental impact and the best possible fish welfare is both an ethical responsibility and drives economic profitability.”
Research
Two researchers will also join the debate to contribute their scientific perspectives.
Geir H. Bolstad studies the effects of escaped farmed salmon and sea lice. He is a senior researcher at the Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) and a member of the Norwegian Scientific Advisory Committee for Atlantic Salmon. Joining us via video link from Trondheim, Bolstad will share the latest findings from research on Norway’s wild salmon populations.
Ragnar Tveterås is a professor of industrial economics at the University of Stavanger. He leads several research projects exploring how the aquaculture industry can become more profitable while reducing its environmental impact. Tveterås argues that the salmon farming industry can become greener, more efficient, and play a vital role in feeding a growing global population.
You decide
Welcome to a fresh and honest debate about the fish of the future. Here, tradition, science, and industry meet - and you get to decide for yourself who’s right: the fishmonger or the Norwegian salmon industry?
Language: English.
