Swedish supermarkets to stock domestically farmed rainbow trout

From this autumn Swedish grocery chain Ica will offer rainbow trout (regnbåge) raised in Sweden, after signing its first supply agreement with the Finnish aquaculture group Nordic Trout. The move is intended to capture a larger share of the Swedish fish market, which has long been dominated by Norwegian salmon.

Swedish authorities have recently eased permitting rules for fish farms to boost domestic food‑security, removing previous licence requirements. Ica’s category manager Edvin Nestor confirmed the products will be available in stores and align with the chain’s push for ASC‑certified Swedish produce.

The expansion has drawn criticism from WWF marine expert Inger Melander, who argues that the feed used in both Swedish and Norwegian farms relies on wild‑caught fish and that escape incidents, such as a recent six‑ton loss of trout from a Nordic Trout facility, pose environmental risks.