In order to fulfill an expected future growth, the Norwegian aquaculture industry needs to act on two scenes. Domestically, the growth should be supported by Norwegian citizens and other stakeholders, implying acceptance of dedicating coastal areas to the industry and thereby a potential limitation in the provision of other marine ecosystem services. On the international markets, Norwegian salmon producers seek to maintain or repatriate a reputation as an environmentally sustainable industry selling a clean and natural product. These goals translate in the two research questions that BALANCE project addresses: 1. What are the conditions for reaching a social contract with Norwegian stakeholders, and what if such conditions cannot be reached? 2. Given a situation where domestic conditions imply increased costs, and domestic media contribute with negative information, how may the industry develop a reputation, which contributes to sufficiently high prices in European markets?
Time period: 2019-2021