Fish first: Sharp end decision-making at Norwegian fish farms

Aquaculture is the most accident exposed industry in Norway, after fisheries.Interviews and observations of 55 persons in twelve aquaculture companies indicate that management rely on operating workers to make all safety-decisions in the operations, for both their biological product and themselves. Still, there is no published research about aquaculture decision-making.Given the reliance in decisions on the net cages, and the industry’s accident rate, it seems important to investigate how and why safety-related decisions are made. This paper explores criteria and constraints for decision-making in sharp end operations at fish farms. Two common situations with risk of loss are described and analyzed according to relevant research:
• Net cage damage discovered during feeding. How to manage both planned tasks and necessary modifications?
• The well boat crew must get the fish to the harvesting plant, but the weather is bad. How to handle tasks, time pressure and unstable conditions?The findings show that decision-makers often neglect personnel safety on behalf of product safety. Even though criteria and constraints largely coincide with theory and are similar in the two example operations, the personnel safety outcome is different. In daily operations there is major risk for the operating personnel, while in the rare well boat operations the conditions best for the fish also prevent personnel harm.When dealing with a biological production process ordinary safety measures are inadequate – because when activities need to be done at the exact right time for the product to be profitable, personnel safety comes second.

All decisions at fish farms favours the fish – there is a need for new safety measures.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Decision-makers in aquaculture prioritize product safety over personnel safety.
► Personnel safety do not correspond with product safety in the daily operations.
► In common rare operations conditions best for the fish also prevent personnel harm.
► Ordinary safety measures do not fit the biological production process.
► A mapping is needed to make daily personnel safety correspond with product safety.