Thursday, September 8, 2011

Seafood Choices is headed to Norway!

Svalbard, Norway. Credit: Thomas Hallermann/Marine Photobank
SeaWeb’s Seafood Choices program was invited by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC) for an educational visit to Norway to experience Norwegian fishing and aquaculture operations first-hand. Norway exports seafood to over 150 countries and is the 8th largest supplier of seafood to the US market.

The trip is intended to highlight the sustainability efforts of Norwegian seafood producers. SeaWeb’s  Lacey Schmeidler will meet with:
•    The Norwegian Seafood Export Council – promotes the export of Norwegian seafood to all major international markets. NSEC also complies statistics and information on Norwegian seafood exports.
•    Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs – responsible for the sustainable management of Norway’s coastal and marine resources and the regulation of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
•    WWF Norway –one of the largest environmental and conservation groups working in Norway.
•    Institute of Marine Research – the largest marine science center in Norway.
•    EWOS Group – a major supplier of feed to the international aquaculture industry, with about a 1/3 share of the market.
•    Lerøy Seafood Group – one of the largest seafood exporters in Norway.
•    Aker Seafoods ASA/Norway Seafoods – a leading Norwegian seafood company encompassing harvesting, procession and retail operations.
•    Norwegian Seafood Federation – the primary trade association representing Norwegian seafood companies at all points of the value chain.
•    Norwegian Fisherman’s Sales Organization – provides services for fishermen related to the sale and trade of seafood.

This experience will be an opportunity to see how operations vary between the US and Norway, with a focus on sustainability measures and how these can be adapted on an international scale.  We look forward to an open dialogue and welcome questions from our audiences for the organizations Lacey will be visiting. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments section below or email Lacey directly. Lacey will be posting updates on the meetings all next week, check back for the latest news!

3 comments:

  1. If you are going to Norway, can you provide update about wild Cod and Cod liver oil? Cod liver oil is still consumed regularly by many families in the USA, and I was wondering how can a consumer better educate themselves about the different brands? Especially in regards to purity and testing for metals (e.g. mercury). For example, here is a link to one of the brands our family purchases: http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/PurityStatement/index.cfm

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  2. Thank you for your interest! Unfortunately, we aren't visiting any cod liver oil producers. From the limited amount I have learned about cod liver oil, the consumption of it in Norway has been declining because there is high seafood consumption.

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