Sweden’s highest environmental court has ruled against several cases requiring permission for aquaculture in open water.
The Mark- och miljööverdomstolen environmental court has reached judgements regarding two aquaculture permits at Omnefjärden in the Kramfors Municipality and one at Nätrafjarden in the Örnsköldsvik Municipality, limiting these activities to three years.
Regarding an operation at Storsjön in the Berg Municipality, the court found that the activity cannot be carried out to the intended level.
The court found that there were uncertainties regarding the assessments on the environment, and raised questions about the proposed technologies that do not provide for collection of waste feed and waste, as well as voicing doubts about the capacities of these waters to break down the resulting nutrients.
The farms will only be allowed to operate for a further three years and in the Storsjön case the court reduced the allowable production level.
