Raw material shortage halts over half of Isfjord Norway's staff, 163 placed on furlough

Norwegian salmon processor Isfjord Norway has furloughed a total of 163 employees due to raw material shortages. CEO Liv Randi Sira confirmed to Norwegian seafood media iLaks that the furlough covers both hired-in personnel and permanent employees.

Sira said those affected include all 70 hired-in workers and 93 of the company's own employees, citing the raw material supply situation; as the company gradually secures more raw material, people will be called back from the furlough list. According to the CEO, 40 of the 93 furloughed permanent employees have already returned to work.

The furloughs come shortly after Isfjord Norway announced it was halting payments and faced a liquidity crisis due to around NOK 60 million in supplier debt. The company said at the time that raw material availability had fallen sharply since the end of 2024, alongside intensifying competition for raw fish.

Sira said management is still working to find solutions for the business, and the company has been approached by interested parties, with several paths currently being pursued. The company has previously disclosed that its processing plant in Orkanger has around 300 employees.

Isfjord Norway is a salmon processing company located in Orkanger, and the number of staff affected by this furlough exceeds half of its total workforce.