In song, Björk and Rosalía take action against intensive salmon farming in Iceland

Alliance-event of two major pop figures for an environmental cause: Björk and Rosalía will release Oral on November 9, a song intended to finance “legal costs” to regulate aquaculture in Iceland. The release date of the single sung with the Spaniard, revealed by Libération this weekend, was confirmed to AFP on Monday by Björk's French press service.

“Icelandic and Norwegian businessmen” have “started buying aquaculture farms in the majority of our fjords almost ten years ago” with “almost no regulations,” laments Icelandic Björk on her social networks. The artist, acclaimed for her album Homogenic (1997), further denounces “devastating effects on wildlife” and “farmed fish” which “suffer from appalling health conditions”. “Since many of them escaped, they began to alter the DNA of Icelandic salmon for the worse, which could lead to their extinction.”

Björk believes that “there is still a chance to save the last wild salmon in the north”. The star would like to force “these businessmen to withdraw their farms” but above all “contribute to inventing and implementing strict regulations in Iceland's legal system to protect nature”. Björk would like to set a precedent based on the case of “residents of the Seyðisfjörður fjord”, in eastern Iceland, who “protested against the start of aquaculture in their area”. “We would like to donate the sales of the song to help cover their legal costs, and hope this can serve as an example for others.”

Björk's commitment to environmental causes has long been known. His recent shows ended, before the encore, with a video message from climate activist Greta Thunberg.

When AFP spoke with her in June about her tour and ecology, the author of the hit Army of Me said: “It would be better to have more “green” options.” “I was hoping Elon Musk and his tech friends would make electric tour buses or boats with motors powered by wind and sun for touring musicians: Could you pass the message on to Elon Musk?”