Opening speech Aqua Nor 2009

Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, Mr. Chairman, Madam Mayor, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to have the privilege to greet you all. It is a special honour for the Nor-Fishing Foundation and Norwegian aquaculture industry that Your Majesty is with us again today. I would like to thank you, Madam Mayor, for hosting the Aqua Nor trade fair in the beautiful city of Trondheim. Let me also express my gratitude to the board and staff of the Nor-Fishing Foundation for organizing this event, and for your achievements over the last 30 years.

Around 400 exhibitors, representing more than 600 manufacturers and suppliers, from 23 countries all over the world, will be showing the latest developments in aquaculture technology and equipment during this week in Trondheim. In addition, many important meetings and seminars will be held. Aqua Nor is an important meeting place, not only for the industry, but also for the fisheries and aquaculture authorities from countries all over the world. On this occasion, it is a special pleasure for me to welcome our eminent guests – the aquaculture ministers from Brazil, Canada, Chile and Scotland.

I am particularly happy to see the large international participation at this year’s fair. In a year of economic depression, it is a highly positive and promising sign that the aquaculture industry is still looking for ways to continue its develope.
Norway has always been a large exporter of seafood. Traditionally, of wild caught fish, but the export of farmed fish has increased during recent decades, and a few years ago it exceeded the export value of products originating from the traditional fisheries. Norwegian companies and research institutions have acquired unique know-how, and the Aqua Nor exhibition shows that Norway has also become a major exporter of aquaculture equipment, knowledge and technology.

Fish farming is an efficient way to produce healthy food rich in protein - necessary to feed the growing population of the world. Focus has to be put on environmentally friendly production, which is of vital importance in the aquaculture industry. I am proud that Norwegian knowledge and technology are contributing to the development of aquaculture industries in countries around the world.

I have now been Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs for almost four years. During this period, the government has worked hard to ensure that the Norwegian aquaculture industry has competitive framework conditions, and that it is run on an environmentally sustainable basis. As the industry is growing, it is becoming more and more evident that sustainability and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. In my view, sustainability is the key factor in determining further growth in the industry.

What defines a sustainable aquaculture industry? Sustainability is a broad term, and during the past year, the Norwegian government has elaborated a strategy for an environmentally sustainable aquaculture industry. This strategy was presented in April. Our goal is that the industry should operate to the highest standards, and not inflict unacceptable damage on the surrounding environment and the wild fish stocks.

I want to highlight that, even though many here are competitors in the global market, we need to secure fair competition and good cooperation. Together with Chile, Canada and Scotland, the world’s largest producers and exporters of Atlantic salmon, we have extended bilateral contact in the field of aquaculture, both via the business environment and between governments. We need to sustain and increase such cooperation, with the aim of helping each other to protect the environment and to produce safe seafood for the global consumer. 

Salmon and other farmed fish are products sold on the global market, and consumers are often unaware of the origin of the product. It is our shared concern to make sure that consumers all over the world know that salmon is a sustainable, healthy and safe product. Experience has shown that salmon farmers face many of the same challenges, whether they operate in the Atlantic, or in the north or south Pacific. We all have something to gain from co-operation within research and development, in order to arrive at the best possible solutions. In the same way, authorities can learn from exchanging experiences on the development of adequate legal frameworks. 

I look forward to a pleasant and beneficial stay here in Trondheim. Once again I would like to congratulate the Nor-Fishing Foundation on the 30th anniversary of Aqua Nor, and I wish you the best of luck with this year’s exhibition!