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Mowi ASA Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2010

May 5, 2010

3665_rns_2010-05-05_e2d19e6c-fd63-41be-a0d8-b07b1c0a2ca5.pdf

Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement

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marineharvest excellence in seafood

To the shareholders in Marine Harvest ASA

NOTICE OF ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given of Marine Harvest ASA’s ordinary general meeting:

Date: 27 May 2010

Time: 2 p.m.

Venue: Shippingklubben, Haakon VII’s gate 1, 0112 Oslo

The general meeting will be opened by Ole-Eirik Lerøy, acting chairman of the board.

Subsequent to the opening of the meeting a list of the shareholders and shareholder representatives present and the number of shares they represent will be made available to the meeting.

The following agenda for the general meeting is proposed:

  1. Election of a chairperson to preside over the meeting and an individual to sign the minutes of the meeting together with the elected chairperson.
  2. Approval of the notice and agenda.
  3. Briefing on the business

Acting CEO, Thomas Henning Farstad, will provide a briefing on the status of the business of the Marine Harvest Group.

  1. Approval of the annual accounts and the board’s annual report for 2009 for Marine Harvest ASA and the Marine Harvest Group.

The board’s proposed profit and loss accounts for 2009, balance sheet as of 31 December 2009 and notes thereto for Marine Harvest ASA and the Marine Harvest group as well as the board of directors and auditor’s reports for 2009, are included in the annual report for 2009, which is available on the Company's homepage www.marineharvest.com.

The board proposes that the following resolution be passed:

“The board’s proposal for annual accounts for Marine Harvest ASA and the Marine Harvest group as well as the board of directors’ report for 2009 are approved.”

  1. Allocation of the result for the financial year 2009

The board proposes the following resolution to be passed:

“Marine Harvest ASA’s net income for the financial year 2009 of NOK 313,000,000 together with NOK 938,000,000 transferred from other equity capital, in total NOK 1,251,000,000 (NOK 0.35 per share), is distributed as dividend to shareholders registered in the Norwegian Central Securities Register as of 9 June 2010.

The Company’s shares will be listed exclusive of dividend from 10 June 2010.”


  1. Authority to the board to purchase the Company’s shares

At the ordinary general meeting in 2009, the board was granted authority to purchase the Company’s shares. The authority was valid until the ordinary general meeting in 2010.

The board wishes to remain in a position where it can purchase the Company's shares. The purpose of the proposal is to provide the board with the opportunity to acquire the Company’s shares in situations where this is considered attractive to the shareholders. Furthermore, the board wishes to be in a position to offer shareholders with small shareholdings the opportunity to sell their shares in a cost efficient manner. There are many shareholders who contact Marine Harvest seeking assistance in selling small blocks of shares.

The board thus finds it practical that an authority to purchase the Company’s shares also allows the board to offer to purchase shares from shareholders owning 1,000 or less shares in the Company

The board thus submits the following proposal:

"The board is, pursuant to Section 9-4 of the Public Limited Companies Act, authorised to purchase shares in the Company up to a maximum total nominal par value of NOK 268,117,374.67, which equals 10% of the current share capital.

The shares may be purchased at a maximum price of NOK 12 per share and a minimum price corresponding to their nominal value, NOK 0.75 per share.

The authority includes a right for the board to extend an offer to purchase shares from shareholders owning 1,000 or less shares in the Company. Such offer shall be limited to a total of 2,500,000 shares, equivalent to a total par value of NOK 1,875,000.

The authority covers all forms of acquisition of shares in the Company.

Shares purchased in accordance with this authority may be divested in any way, including sales in the open market and as consideration in transactions.

With the exception of an offer to purchase the shares of shareholders holding 1000 shares or less, general equal treatment principles shall always be complied with in relation to transactions with shareholders based on the authority granted.

If the par value of the Company's shares changes during the term of this authority, the limitation in the authority will change accordingly.

This authority shall remain valid until the next annual general meeting, however no longer than 1 July 2011."

For the sake of good order, it is noted that Marine Harvest ASA, as of today’s date, owns no treasury shares.

  1. Authority to the board to resolve to increase the share capital

At the annual general meeting in 2009, the board was granted authority to increase the Company's share capital by approximately 10%. The term of the authority ran until the annual general meeting in 2010.

The board proposes that the authority to increase the Company’s share capital be renewed. It is proposed that the limit be set to 10% of the Company’s outstanding share capital, i.e. the same level as the authority granted in 2009.


In order to give the board flexibility, it is proposed that the authority shall include the right to set aside the shareholders’ pre-emption rights in capital increases resolved on this basis thereof.

The purpose of the proposal is to simplify the procedure in connection with capital increases to finance further growth and/or the offering of shares as consideration in acquisitions where this is deemed a favourable form of settlement for the Company.

The board thus submits the following proposal:

"The board is, pursuant to Section 10-14 of the Public Limited Companies Act, authorised to increase the Company’s share capital by up to NOK 268,117,374.67, from NOK 2,681,173,746.75 up to NOK 2,949,291,121.42 by issuing up to 357 489 832 new shares at a nominal value of NOK 0.75 per share.

The authority can be used for one or several capital increases.

The subscription terms for new shares resolved to be issued pursuant to this authority shall, within the limits stated herein, be decided by the board.

This authority includes the right to set aside the shareholders’ pre-emption rights to subscribe for shares pursuant to Section 10-4 of the Public Limited Companies Act.

The board may decide that the consideration to be paid by subscribers in capital increases decided on the basis of this authority may be made by transferring other assets than cash to the Company, by set-off or through the assumption by the Company of special obligations, cfr. Section 10-2 of the Public Limited Companies Act. If settlement of a subscription shall be made by transferring other assets than cash to the Company, the board may decide that such assets shall be transferred directly to a subsidiary subject to a corresponding settlement taking place between the subsidiary and the Company.

The authority also applies to capital increases required in connection with mergers pursuant to Section 13-5 of the Public Limited Companies Act.

The authority includes the right and duty to change article 4 of the articles of association in accordance with the amount of any capital increase(s) resolved on the basis of the authority.

The term of this authority shall be from the date of its approval and until the annual general meeting in 2011, however no longer than 1 July 2011."

8. Determination of fees

The nomination committee’s proposal for remuneration of Directors and members of the nomination committee for the period 09/10 will be enclosed in the nomination committee’s proposal, which will be published on the Company’s website and sent to the shareholders prior to the ordinary general meeting.

The auditor has requested a fee for the audit of Marine Harvest ASA in 2009 of NOK 1,704,000. The board recommends that the fee be set accordingly.

9. Election of directors

The nomination committee’s proposal will be published on the Company’s website and sent to the shareholders prior to the ordinary general meeting.


  1. Election of member to the nomination committee and determination of remuneration to its members

The nomination committee’s proposal will be published on the Company’s website and sent to the shareholders prior to the ordinary general meeting.

  1. Statement on the determination of salary and other remuneration for senior executives

Pursuant to Section 6-16(a) of the Public Limited Companies Act, the board shall prepare a statement on the principles which have been followed in determining the salary and other compensation for senior executives in 2009 and the principles which will be applied in 2010.

The statement is enclosed to the notice and will be presented for a vote at the general meeting.

The board proposes that the following resolution be passed in this respect:

“The general meeting notes the statement on determination of salary and other compensation for senior executives in 2009 and supports the principles for determination of compensation for senior executives which the board has decided to apply for the financial year 2010”

  1. Reduction of the Company’s share premium account

The board proposes that the Company’s share premium account be reduced by NOK 5,900,000,000 by way of a reclassification thereof to other equity. The background for the proposal is that the board finds it appropriate that the Company’s equity capital is classified in the manner which provides maximum flexibility for resolutions which relates to distributable equity.

The board proposes that the following resolution is passed in this respect:

“The Company’s share premium account is reduced by NOK 5,900,000,000. The reduction amount is transferred to other equity.”

  1. Shareholder proposal

The following proposal has been received from Barlett C. Naylor:

“The shareholders urge the board of directors to approve funding for a commercial-scale closed containment project for farmed salmon in British Columbia”

The board recommend the shareholders to vote against this proposal.

The board is mindful that Marine Harvest ASA shall use the best technological and operational solutions which, at any time, are available and commercially acceptable for its business. As a consequence, the Company's management is continually evaluating the viability of alternative methods and technologies.

Closed containment farms are one of many such alternatives.

Despite the fact that there thus is no conflict between the proposal and the general position of the Board in relation to the content thereof, the Board is of the opinion that management, in cooperation with the Board, should be free to chose which alternatives that, at any time, shall be prioritised.

oOo


Marine Harvest ASA has a share capital of NOK 2,681,173,746.75 represented by 3,574,898,329 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 0.75. Each share entitles its holder to one vote at the Company's general meetings. A shareholder has the right to vote for the number of shares which is held by him, and which is registered in his name in the Norwegian Central Securities Register (VPS) at the time of the general meeting. If the shareholder has acquired shares shortly before the general meeting, voting rights for the transported shares can only be exercised if the acquisition has been registered in the VPS, or if the acquisition has been reported to the VPS and is substantiated at the general meeting.

The shareholders have the following rights in a general meeting:

  • the right to be present at the general meeting, either personally or by proxy;
  • the right to speak at the general meeting, to bring an advisor and give one advisor the right to speak;
  • the right to require information from the board members and managing director pursuant to the provisions of Section 5-15 of the Public Limited Companies Act;
  • the right to have matters considered at the general meeting provided the shareholder in question have submitted to the board in writing together with a proposal for a resolution or reasons why the issue is brought on the agenda no later than seven days before the deadline for giving notice of the general meeting;
  • the right to provide an alternative to the board of directors' and nomination committee's proposals under the matters to be considered by the general meeting based on their proposals;
  • the right to receive documents pertaining to matters being dealt with at the general meeting and which have only been made available on the Company's internet homepage.

Shareholders who wish to attend the general meeting are requested to notify the Company of this by submitting the attached form to the address and within the deadline stated therein.

Shareholders who do not wish to attend the general meeting personally have the right to be represented by proxy. If so, a written and dated power of attorney must be presented to the general meeting. The enclosed form of power of attorney may be used. If the power of attorney is granted to the chairman of the board, the power of attorney may contain voting instructions.

This notice with enclosures is available on the Company's web site www.marineharvest.no.

Oslo, 4 May 2010

for the board of directors in Marine Harvest ASA

Ole-Eirik Lerøy

Acting chairman of the Board


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marineharvest excellence in seafood

MARINE HARVEST ASA

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' STATEMENT ON THE PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO THE DETERMINATION OF SALARIES AND OTHER COMPENSATION FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVES

Responsibility

The board of Marine Harvest ASA determines the principles applicable to the Marine Harvest Group’s policy for senior executive compensation.

The board is directly responsible for the determination of the CEO’s salary and other benefits.

The CEO is, in consultation with the chairman of the board, responsible for the determination of the salary and other benefits for the Group’s other senior executives.

The Marine Harvest Group’s senior executives include the management team of each business area as well as the senior members of the corporate staff.

Goal

The purpose of Marine Harvest’s compensation principles for senior executives is to attract employees with the competence required by the Group, retain employees with important competence and motivate employees to contribute in the long-term in order to reach the Marine Harvest Group’s business goals.

The Group’s most important competitive advantage shall be the ability to offer each employee meaningful and challenging responsibilities in a good working environment.

Guidelines

The following guidelines shall form the basis of the determination of compensation to the Marine Harvest Group’s senior executives:

  • The total compensation offered to senior executives shall be competitive, both nationally and internationally.
  • The compensation shall contain elements providing necessary financial security following termination of the employment, both before the age of retirement and in connection with this.
  • The compensation shall be motivating, both for the individual and for the Group’s senior executives as a group.
  • Variable elements in the total compensation to the Group’s senior executives shall be linked to the values generated by the Group for Marine Harvest ASA’s shareholders.
  • The system of compensation shall be understandable and meet general acceptance internally in the Group, among the Company’s shareholders and with the public.

  • The system of compensation shall be flexible and contain mechanisms which make it possible to carry out individual adjustments based on the results achieved and contributions made towards the development of the Group.

Principles for determination of salary and other remuneration in 2010

Fixed salary

The fixed salary which each individual senior executive in the Marine Harvest Group will receive in 2010 is a consequence of existing employment agreements.

When recruiting, the salary level offered will reflect this.

Adjustments of individual fixed salaries will be carried out in accordance with trends in local labour markets, the results achieved, and individual contributions to the development of the group.

Benefits in kind

The Marine Harvest Group’s compensation schemes include only a limited number of benefits in kind. These benefits are offered in line with what is common practice in local labour markets and typically include personal communication equipment, access to media, and car and parking arrangements.

These schemes will be continued in 2010 according to signed agreements.

Such schemes will be included in the terms for new employees in accordance with established practice.

Pension

The Group currently has a number of pension schemes for its employees. These are further described in the notes to the Group’s annual accounts.

The pension schemes comply with local statutory requirements which the individual companies in the Group are obliged to comply with.

Schemes which go beyond what is required by law are mainly contribution based.

These schemes will be continued in 2010. New employees will be included in the schemes in accordance with local practice.

Termination payment

The Marine Harvest Group has individual agreements on termination payments upon dismissal with several of its senior executives. The right to receive a termination payment is linked to a waiver of the general protection against termination.

The period of termination payment is maximum 24 months from resignation.

There are no plans to change existing agreements for senior executives in this area in 2010.

The current practice on the use of termination payments will be continued in 2010 in relation to new recruits.


Bonus

The Marine Harvest Group’s senior executives have, as a part of their employment terms, a right to receive an annual bonus.

The scheme is cash-based and is triggered for each individual if set goals for the Group and the individual entitled to bonus are met. 70% of the bonus is linked to the target achievement of the Marine Harvest Group and/or a business area, while 30% is linked to individual goal achievement. The size of the bonus is, for each individual, limited to a share of the person’s fixed salary.

The bonus scheme is further described in the notes to the Group’s annual accounts for 2009.

There are no plans to change the current bonus scheme.

New employees in 2010 will be included in this scheme.

Share price based bonus schemes – senior executives

The Marine Harvest Group has a share price based bonus scheme which is further described in Marine Harvest’s Corporate Governance document. This is available at Marine Harvest’s homepage. The scheme is reserved for the senior executives of the Marine Harvest Group.

The main characteristics of the scheme are as follows:

  • The individual entitled to bonus is allotted a number of calculatory units (where each unit corresponds to one share in Marine Harvest) (“Units”) and an appurtenant value (which corresponds to the market price of Marine Harvest’s share + 7.5%) (the “Base Value”).
  • 3 years after allotment, the individual entitled to bonus will be paid a cash bonus corresponding to the positive difference between the Marine Harvest share’s market value at such time and the Base Value, multiplied with the number of Units.
  • The individual entitled to bonus is obligated to invest the bonus amount after income tax has been deducted in Marine Harvest shares at market price. These shares are purchased from Marine Harvest (if treasury shares are available), or in the market.

Marine Harvest will cover the individual’s expenses for purchasing the shares.

  • The individual entitled to bonus is obligated to own the purchased shares for a minimum of 12 months following their acquisition.

The payment of bonus is conditional upon the individual entitled to bonus being employed in the Marine Harvest Group during the whole earning period. The bonus amount is, for each individual, limited to 2 years’ salary.

The scheme has a maximum scope of 35 million Units per year. Allotment takes place once per year.

Allotment for 2010 has already been carried out. On 21 April 2010, Units were allotted to 67 individuals. The Base Value for this allotment was NOK 5.74 per Unit.


Share Purchase Program – Employees in Norway

The board will, annually, consider giving all permanent employees in Marine Harvest ASA and its Norwegian subsidiaries the opportunity to acquire shares in the Company within the scope of the Norwegian Tax Act Section 5-14.

These provisions provide this group of employees with the opportunity to receive a tax free benefit of NOK 1,500 in connection with their participation in such a scheme.

Policy for remuneration of senior executives in 2009

In the course of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, the Marine Harvest group has complied with the policy for remuneration of senior executives that was presented at last year’s general meeting.

The share price based bonus scheme involved the allotment of 13,450,000 Units to 65 employees based on a Base Value of NOK 4.487 per Unit in 2009.

No payments were made under the scheme as a consequence of the first allotments being made in 2008.

The share purchase program was carried out by an offer to each of the entitled employees in November 2009 to purchase 1,756 shares at a total value of approximately NOK 7,500, against a purchase price of approximately NOK 6,000. The offer resulted in acceptances for a total of 505,728 shares. These were obtained by Marine Harvest purchasing a corresponding number of own shares in the market at an average price of NOK 4.3194.