Norwegian fisheries and the fish farming industry have been of great importance for Norway as a nation for centuries and will continue to be so in the future. But how we harvest from the sea has changed dramatically over the last decades. 

In 1945 it was over 110.000 registered fishermen in Norway. Today that number is just above 10.000. In 1945 nobody along the coast of Norway made a living out of fish farming. Today about 55.000 works directly or indirectly in the seafood business in Norway, with about 34.000 related to fish farming. 

For every full-time equivalent within the fisheries and fish farming industry, 1.1 full-time equivalents are created in other industries nationwide. Add others who delivers goods and services, the public services in the local communities, we can grasp the wider economic impacts the modern seafood industry has along the coast of Norway.

Lerøy Seafood Group is strongly involved in the local communities in the areas in which it operates, and aims to contribute to local incomes for these communities by purchasing local goods equipment and services wherever possible. 

Lerøy Seafood Group's companies in Norway purchased goods, equipment and services totalling NOK 12.5 billion in 2017. The figures show that the Group purchased these goods, equipment and services from 287 different municipalities in Norway. In 2017, the Group had facilities located in close to 60 different Norwegian municipalities. Our employees contributed NOK 460 million in income tax to 257 different municipalities. Based on our activities over the past eight years, Lerøy Seafood Group has in total contributed more than NOK 3 billion in tax. As such, we make an important contribution towards sustaining a number of local communities and workplaces in many different parts of Norway.

Several municipalities are dependent upon the activity and jobs that are created and sustained with the help of the fisheries and fish farming industry. Local kindergartens and schools require teachers and personnel. New roads are built, and new technology developed, to mention only a few factors. 

Local communities, previously facing the threat of rural depopulation, can now face the future with optimism. New jobs are being created not only in the fisheries and fish farming industry, but also in local and national businesses that supply products to our industry. 

Lerøy Seafood Group’s companies are often located in decentralised areas, making significant contributions to employment and income in the local communities. As far as we know, we have not affected any communities negatively. The Group aims to develop positive, close cooperation with these communities, and contribute by sponsoring and supporting local sports clubs and festivals/ various events. The Group supports various local activities related to children and young people. Diet, health and healthy eating are important common values in this collaboration.  It is therefore rewarding to see children and young people enjoying healthy food at different events supported by the Group.

Through our decentralised locations, we also contribute to investments in buildings, infrastructure, quays, floating quays and modern equipment in small, local communities. These form the grounds for local commerce. In fact, we represent 25-80% of the economic basis for certain suppliers in the municipalities in which we have facilities.

According to a spin-off analysis performed by Nofima, based on 2013 figures, the fish farming industry generates a number of spin-off effects.  The table below shows the most significant  of these.

• Industry

- Rubber goods and plastic industry

- Machine industry

- Textile industry

- Machine repairs and installation

- Chemical industry 

- Metal industry 

- Timber and wood industry 

- Paper and paper goods industry

- Computer and electronics industry

- Transportation industry

- Printing, graphic industry 

- Mineral product industry

- Electrotechnical industry

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing 

• Transport and storage 

• Commodities, car repairs 

• Financial services and insurance 

• Professional, scientific and technical services 

• Building and construction 

• Power supply 

• Public admin, defence, social insurance 

• Sale and operation of real estate 

• Commercial services 

• Information and communication 

• Hotel and restaurant trade 

• Mining and extraction 

• Water, sewage and waste removal 

• Other services 

• Cultural activities, entertainment etc. 

• Health and social services 

• Commodities, repair of vehicles

 • Education

When measured in terms of value creation per full-time equivalent, the individual businesses made the following contributions in 2014*:

— Fishing and catches NOK 1,082 million per full- time equivalent 

—  Aquaculture NOK 2,663 million per full-time equivalent 

— Fish processing NOK 1,103 million per full-time equivalent

When transferred to Lerøy Seafood Group in Norway, this will provide the following value creation:

Through sponsorships Lerøy supports sports and other local organisations around the country, because we believe in giving back to and support the local communities where we have our activities. 

The coast of Norway and its coastal communities would not be the same without fisheries and the fish farming industry. Lerøy is proud to play a major role in this respect.