Opening address “Seafood and Health Conference” Bergen 13-15 May 2008

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to Bergen and to the Seafood and Health Conference 2008! 

Standing here before you to talk about seafood, I have to say that I feel honoured! In addition to being a very important, nutritional part of our diet, many people also consider seafood to be one of the most delicious foods we can eat. Couple this with the many health benefits of seafood, and it is not hard to understand why so many of us feel privileged to have seafood as our field of expertise.  

As a continuation of the last conference held in Washington D.C., our conference today and tomorrow is a follow-up of new knowledge and challenges in the area of seafood and health since 2005. We have chosen to hold this conference here in Bergen for a number of reasons. In addition to its famous fish market and the seven mountains surrounding the city, Bergen is also the centre of fisheries management in Norway. The city is home to the fish and seafood section of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Directorate of Fisheries, the Institute of Marine Research, and also the coordinators of this conference, the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research. The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs is proud to host this conference in cooperation with the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research here in Bergen.  

Lifestyle diseases pose a growing challenge in the industrialized part of the world. The recent surge in the prevalence of type 2 Diabetes and obesity is alarming. There are many problems to be solved and no simple solutions. And Norway is no different – the government’s health budget has been more than doubled over the last ten years. We know that it is harder and more expensive to treat the diseases, rather than prevent them in the first place.  

There is no doubt, however, about the relevance of seafood consumption in this equation. This is important for Norway, both as high consumers of seafood ourselves and also as a major exporter of seafood. We wish to increase the focus on seafood and health, as well as boost knowledge in the area. National focus and global focus come together here today, with participants from both the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health organization (WHO).  

Here in Norway we have a saying “Frisk som en fisk”, which means “Healthy as a fish”. While it has been known for some time that eating fish is good for your health, there are still a lot of uncertainty as to how and why this is the case. We believe that this seminar will generate new knowledge and good discussions on these subjects.  

In addition to all the talk about the numerous beneficial effects of seafood, there has also been much focus on environmental pollution and contaminants. Risk–benefit analyses have been carried out in a number of European countries in recent years, including Norway. All of these have concluded that the population as a whole ought to eat more fish and seafood. Nevertheless, monitoring the level of contaminants in seafood and staying updated with new knowledge is essential in order to provide safe seafood and give the right consumption advice to the public.

The scientists and experts gathered here today are going to shed new light on “How” and “Why” in their lectures today and tomorrow, and we are looking forward to your speeches.  

While industrialized countries struggle with the consequences of people eating too much and getting too little exercise, in developing countries, many people are still starving.

Food scarcity is expected to rise dramatically in the years to come. We should look to the blue field, the oceans for answers. Packed with essential nutrients, vitamins, marine fatty acids and proteins of high biological quality, seafood is a natural basis for a healthy diet. Increased seafood production can help feed the world. According to UN figures, the demand for seafood in 2030 will be approx. 30 million tonnes higher than today’s production. Increased seafood production will therefore be needed. But where can we get this fish? Harvested wild fish represent a major food resource, but we cannot expect to raise the global catch of wild fish to meet the demand without depleting fish stocks.  

Sustainable long-term growth in seafood consumption can only come from aquaculture. However, aquaculture products depend on marine resources for feed and to maintain their high nutritional quality. Growth in aquaculture is dependent on using sustainable feed ingredients. We must optimize the use of marine ingredients in feed, and also look for sustainable alternative marine ingredients. The use of vegetable oils and proteins in fish feed will continue to be a limited part of fish feeding stuffs in the future, and we should look for ingredients that best promote fish welfare, growth and nutritional quality.  

As for the consumers, the target group for seafood production, we want them to have a healthy diet and be in good health. The number of food products available enriched with different nutrients like vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids is rapidly increasing, as are the number of food supplements on the market. Food supplements can never replace a healthy diet, so the question is how can we educate the consumer in an effective way? Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware and more wary. But there are big social differences in the community, in Norway as elsewhere. For some time now, the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council have been collaborating on a project with nursery and school children. By being introduced to seafood, having the opportunity to taste different kinds of seafood and explore the different flavours, both children and teachers have responded very positively. We believe that positive experiences with seafood from an early age can contribute to high consumption of healthy seafood as adults, which will in turn contribute to a healthy lifestyle.  

The effects of a diet rich in seafood and the risks of a seafood-deficient diet will be further explored in the lectures later today. In fact, given the broad international participation, and important subjects for discussion, I feel confident that this seminar will be very interesting and promote good discussions. Bringing scientists, experts, policy makers and the industry together is a good way of raising awareness about the positive role of seafood. I believe that we have a common interest in joining forces to enhance and build up knowledge (through research) on food safety and the health benefits of consuming seafood. Better knowledge will in turn benefit consumers, at home and worldwide.  

I look forward to joining you here today, and wish you the best of luck for this seminar. Thank you for your attention!