The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries – Svein Ludvigsen

Presentation (pdf-format)

Ladies and gentlemen!

First of all I would like to congratulate the organizers of AquaVision 2004, and wish you all the best for the rest of the conference, which has become a tradition. On this occasion it is a pleasure for me to give my “Visions for modern aquaculture’s future”.

To predict the future has always been a challenge. Let me therefore take a few seconds and taste the word ‘visions’! If you look it up in a dictionary you find three describing words: Dream, foresight and eyesight. For me the word has a character of something promising. The word is future oriented and positive in its nature.

Visions have to be based on essential knowledge about the principal changes and trends that we are spectators to in today’s globalised society. When we combine these trends and changes with our expectations for future seafood consumption and production – then we are getting closer to establish a vision.

Some of the trends that we are observing are referred to as ‘internationalisation’ and ‘globalisation’. In the wake of such processes, production and marketing of goods meet new demands. The power with respect to influence on demands and specifications related to food production has been substantially changed over the past couple of decades. The power of the consumer is growing, and I firmly believe that strong consumer power will play a key role as a success factor for seafood production in the future.

Up till now, the focus in Norwegian salmon farming, for example, has been on production, volume and prices. In order to focus on the consumer demands the seafood industry has to “produce a product which is demanded! Not the opposite”.

One relevant question is:

• Which quality does the consumer expect in the seafood and how can we meet his expectations?

What do we know about consumers’ preferences in terms of seafood? In general the consumer asks the following questions when he takes a decision to buy a product:

• How expensive is the product?
• How accessible is the product for me?
• How familiar is the product for me?
• What is the quality of the product?

The last few years an increasing number of consumers have also asked the following questions:

• May I harm the environment by buying this product?
• Is it safe for me to eat this product?

I believe that if we can take care of the consumer concerns, the potential for future aquaculture production is bright. My expectations for a bright aquaculture future are also strengthened by the fact that the potential for growth in traditional fisheries is limited. Therefore the expected increase in demand for seafood products will have to be met by increasing aquaculture production.

How can we take care of the consumer concerns and, at the same time, make sure that they choose seafood? How can we make the consumer associate aquaculture with:

“High quality documented and traceable seafood products, tailor made to the consumers taste and needs.”

I believe we have to look at the following topics, which I will focus on here this morning:

• Firstly - sustainable aquaculture management
• Secondly - food safety
• Thirdly – research and development

Finally, I will give an example of a future scenario for Norwegian aquaculture industry.

Sustainable aquaculture management

To get a glimpse of the future, it is important not only to see the trends of today, but also to look at the past. The history of Norwegian fish farming is short but successful. Within the course of 30 years Norway has become the largest producer of Atlantic salmon in the world. There are many factors combined in this success. One of these factors is our long and clean coastline with large potential for marine production as well as our access to fish resources.

The growth in the production of salmon and trout over the last decades emphasizes the importance of implementing principles of sustainability in regulations introduced to the fish farming industry. This includes environmental issues, fish health and fish welfare.

Norway presented two years ago a white paper on healthy marine environment. Among other things, focus is set on pollutants, which have their origin from fish farming as well as escapees from net cages. Both issues having a possible effect on the environment.

Escapees from fish farming cages have achieved a great deal of negative attention in Norway. To help solve this, we have recently developed a technical standard for equipment and installations used in fish farming activities. The purpose is, inter alia, to limit escapees from marine fish farms by ensuring a technical standard with satisfactory operation and maintenance of the installations.

To further improve the aquaculture industry, Norwegian authorities are implementing a new system for regulating production. Environmental concerns are key factors in administrating the aquaculture sector, and the new system will safeguard this. In this way, environmental considerations will become an integral part of the system of production regulation in the future.

I would like to stress that Norway holds a highly restrictive policy on this issue, but continued research is needed. We have to ensure that we have sufficient knowledge to conduct responsible governance with regard to industrial development, environmental aspects and consumer interests.

So, how does the Norwegian government intend to meet the future? Our ambition is clear: to contribute to a marine sector that is in the forefront when it comes to acquisition of knowledge and expertise related to all aspects of the aquaculture industry.

The marine sector has been, is, and shall be one of Norway’s leading business areas.

Food safety - consumer involvement in development of food policy

Let me continue with issues related to food safety. It is a general fact that reduced consumer confidence in a product is immediately observed as a reduction in trade. The article in January in the US magazine Science, concluding that the consumption of farmed Atlantic salmon may pose health risks, illustrates this mechanism.

Today spreading of incorrect or misleading information seems to have a much broader range than only a few years ago. I believe one of the reasons is that consumers and importers today are more sensitive and aware of questions related to food safety and health. The challenges we are facing are boosted by the fact that Internet makes information spread widely, within only a few hours.

A fundamental element of our food policy is that the food shall be safe and that it shall be presented in a non-deceptive way.

The challenges related to misleading information and unfounded accusations are global, and may harm the market situation for seafood, regardless of national origin of the seafood. It is therefore in the interest of us all to cooperate to improve our ability to handle such unexpected situations. The authorities have to provide the consumers with correct information and to respond quickly when misleading information is spread in the market. A fundamental element of the food policy is that the food shall be safe.

The products available have to conform to consumer preferences. These preferences can be linked to aspects of fish health, environmental issues, culture, religion or ethics and represent an important challenge for the producers of foods.

On this background, I have invited salmon producing countries to participate in a Roundtable Conference this afternoon here in Stavanger. The issue to be discussed is consumer information related to food safety issues. Focus will be put on how knowledge and research in this field may be improved and how national authorities and research institutions may handle various challenges of knowledge and information to consumers and markets.

Research & Development

Let me continue by saying a few words about the field of research and development. Norway holds an international leading position within major R&D areas in the aquaculture field. Needless to say, this has been one of the keys to make Norwegian farmed salmon a success story. It is my firm believe that R&D will be the most important tool to develop the aquaculture industry further.

In an international context we also see that the focus on aquaculture in an R&D context is strong. European Union has a significant marine dimension and Norway, as a member of the European Economic Area, is participating in the European research cooperation. Therefore, this spring we have been active in stimulating The European Commission in having a strong focus on the potentials in the Oceans during the 7 ^th> framework program. We considered it to be a natural area for integrating Europe in becoming knowledge based innovative economy in accordance with the European Unions objectives.

Until now I have mainly focused on the challenges we face in the future. I would like to end by a possible Vision for the future Norwegian aquaculture sector. What I am about to present is one out of 3 scenarios developed by the The Norwegian Research Council and important stakeholders. Scenarios that have the ambition to tell us what the aquaculture sector will look like in the year 2020.

Scenario

In the year 2020 there is substantial aquaculture production at sea. Conflicts in the use of the coastal zones have generated a need for shift. Research has resulted in efficient future aquaculture farms being remote controlled by satellite. Biosensors closely watch and cater for the welfare of the fish.

Processing takes place in fully automised facilities based on new technologies, making super fresh products tailor-made to specific consumer demands in key markets. Advanced logistics and Internet trade is an integrated part of the production process, servicing the consumer JIT (just in time) with tailor-made seafood qualities.

To sum up ladies and gentlemen, this shows that the sky is the limit in the aquaculture industry. Our goal is to make sure that when the consumers in the years to come hear the word aquaculture, they immediately get the association of

“High quality documented and traceable seafood products, tailor-made to the consumers taste and needs.”

It is my belief that this can only be achieved by cooperation between stakeholders in the seafood industry worldwide. In other words we need to pull together and in the same direction in order to increase the demand for safe, healthy and tasty seafood.

Thank you!