Subsecretario Felipe Sandoval

Embajadores

Estimados amigos ,

Es un gran placer para mi de estar en Chile y en Aquasur. Quiero dar las gracias

por su invitacion, y me alegro que tanta gente se haya presentado aqui hoy.

This is my second visit to Chile and the hospitality and the beauty of your country intrigue me. I am also grateful for the strong relationship Norway and Chile have developed in the field of Aquaculture.

Coming from different countries on the southern and northern hemisphere, it is of great interest to create arenas to exchange ideas and information, share thoughts and make new contacts. Exhibitions like the Aqua Sur serves as a meeting place between fellow fish farmers, politicians, service-providers and others with a sincere interest in developing the aquaculture industry.

In this regard I also welcome the coming cooperation agreement, which will be signed between the Techno Press and the Nor-Fishing Foundation during this fair. I am glad that our two countries now will be offering, not only the world aquaculture and fishery industries two events on a highest level, but four events with the Pesca Sur fair as the younger brother to the Nor-Fishing fair in Norway!

At the same time we shall continue to provide the world with the best available seafood products. In this area, Norway and Chile are strong competitors as fish farming becomes increasingly more industrialised. Still, we face many of the same challenges and especially in the market place. Both Chile and Norway are major producers of salmon with relatively small domestic markets. Thus, we are dependent on access to foreign markets and the goodwill of consumers around the world.

It is therefore critical that we embrace challenges like the allegations earlier this year claiming that salmon is presenting a health risk due to toxic levels in the fish meat. We want the consumers to perceive our seafood as both safe and delicious to eat. We must therefore ensure that the marine environment is clean, and we must have systems that ensure that products are safe to eat. These basic requirements can only be met by means of active efforts from both the authorities and actors in the industry.

With that in mind, I challenge all of you to think and discuss food safety and ways to improve the environmental reputation of the aquaculture industry during the days of this fair.

Leaving the present and looking to the future, I believe the industry must be in the forefront when it comes to acquisition of knowledge and expertise in order to release the potential found in the blue sea.

The aquaculture industry is one of our industries with a strong international link and the possibilities are enormous – the rapid global growth in fish farming underlines this. We are talking about a blue revolution and the tools of the trade are technology and innovation. If we are to succeed, we all need to think beyond our present achievements.

Already, the aquaculture industry has to deal with new emerging technologies. In particular I think of:

• Biotechnology

• Information technology
• Nano technology

- Biotechnology has already been a useful tool in research and development in the new fields of nutrition and vaccines.

- Future development of IT will have an impact on future fish farming. IT is already helping us to fulfil the Memorandum of Understanding signed here in Puerto Montt two years ago about exchanging Chilean and Norwegian production data so that fish farmers have a better understanding on what the future offering of fish might be. Information Technology also gives us a range of possibilities i.e. to monitor the fish during its life cycles from the hatcheries to the dinner tables.

- The more unknown nano technology may for instance help us to create novel materials adapted for marine or food industry usage.

Thus, I welcome the innovative interaction between producers, different scientific institutes, government officials and the businessmen provided during this exhibition – and I am very much looking forward to meet both Chilean and Norwegian exhibitors during my stay. To me, this is best compared to visiting a coral reef swarming with life

– Thank you for your attention!