Read the final statement issued by the Norwegian NCP. Read the press release.

Read the joint statement issued by Cermaq ASA, Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature/Friends of the Earth Norway and ForUM | Espagnol | Norsk

In May 2005 the Norwegian NCP received a request for review from the NGOs Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature/Friends of the Earth Norway and the Forum for Environment and Development (ForUM) alleging that the partially state-owned Norwegian company Cermaq ASA had breached the provisions of the Guidelines, claiming it did not take adequate account of indigenous peoples' rights, that it engaged in discriminating trade union practices, and that it conducted flawed environmental due diligence.

The Norwegian NCP consulted with the Chilean and Canadian NCPs who both agreed that the issues merited further examination. The NGOs stated that they wanted changes in the policies at Cermaq's headquarters so that operations abroad would accordingly be adjusted. The company agreed and so did the Norwegian, Chilean and Canadian NCPs, and the Norwegian NCP took the lead in the specific instance. The Chilean and Canadian NCPs provided invaluable input throughout the process.

After a series of meetings and examination of the documentation provided by the parties, the Norwegian NCP offered to mediate between the parties. A joint statement was published on 11 August 2011 giving the outcomes of this mediation. The statement describes how Cermaq will operate according to the precautionary principle (as defined in the Guidelines, including discussion of scientific uncertainty), respect indigenous peoples' rights, human rights, labour rights and sustainability reporting. The statement acknowledges that Cermaq, after major outbreaks of the virus infectious salmon anemia (ISA) in Chile, has contributed to knowledge development to make the industry more sustainable. The parties agree that there are accusations in the request for review that have been refuted and that future contact should be based on mutual trust and clarification of facts. The NGOs entrusted Cermaq with their confidence that the company will follow through on its implementation of the actions outlined in the joint statement. The Norwegian NCP facilitated a follow-up meeting and invited the parties to present the joint statement at the Annual OECD meeting of NCPs in June 2012 and at a seminar in Chile in November 2012.

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