Aker Seafoods processing facility

A white fish processing facility owned by Aker Seafoods was one of the last stops during the trip to Norway. This facility, located in Stamsund, in the Lofoten Islands (northern Norway) processes primarily cod but also saith. On the day of our visit, they were processing saith. This facility utilizes modern technology to keep the fish a low temperature (~1 C) throughout processing to optimize quality. Fishing and Seafood processing is a key industry for rural areas in northern Norway where there are few sources of employment.

The plant manager explains the grading process.

All byproducts from the filleting process are utilized. The worker above packs these byproducts.

A worker splits the fish into various cuts.

Packed fillets are prepared for transport. These are for the Scandinavian market.

Seafood or oil?

Dock in the Lofoten Islands

While seafood is the second largest contributor to Norway's exports, oil and gas is the first, constituting well over 50% of the value of exports for the country. Oil and gas have been the biggest drivers in the Norwegian economy the past few decades are are responsible for the country's high standard of living. These resources are largely located offshore and compete for space with both wild fisheries and aquaculture.

However, in recent years the existing wells have become depleted and there has been growing pressure to open new areas to exploitation. One of the areas of interest by the oil and gas industry is near the Lofoten Islands. These islands are an important nursery area for seafood stocks, including cod and to some extent herring, two of largest populations in the world (according to biomass). While seafood is a key industry for the country, especially in rural areas in the north of Norway, such as the Lofoten Islands, it is difficult for it to compete against the oil and gas industry which is the primary economic driver for the country.

The future of the Lofoten Islands and its picturesque landscape remains uncertain.

Visit to Lerøy salmon farm

One of the most interesting aspects of the trip thus far has been a visit to a salmon farm operated by the company Lerøy Seafood Group.

A salmon cage pen. The net on over the top prevents birds from eating the salmon.

Barge where staff monitor the salmon and dispense feed.

Staff monitor the salmon every day. They use cameras to monitor the fish's behavior for stress, identify disease and optimize feeding. They also monitor the nets for any wholes. Finally, they dispense feed with the computer system.

Michelle Cho (New England Aquarium) and I stand on the walk way around the salmon cage with a staff member who explained various features of the cage. Working at a salmon farm is seen as a fairly attractive job in Norway.

Salmon feed.

Consumer perceptions pose a challenge for "red list species" in Norway

Norwegian red fish. The only red fish caught in Norway is as bycatch.

Despite strong management practices, some species in Norwegian waters are still threatened.  While the Directorate of Fisheries has an annual priority list of improvements, a lack of consumer awareness plays a role in the continued (sometimes illegal) exploitation of threatened populations in Norwegian waters. WWF Norway lists six Norwegian species on the “red list” of their seafood guide.

·      Coastal Cod (a specific cod population, other Norwegian cod populations are healthy)

·      Eel

·      Norwegian lobster

·      Wolfish

·      Monkfish

·      Red fish

Norwegian consumers have an assumption that all seafood in Norway is domestically produced, which it largely is, and that because it is produced in Norway it is automatically from a sustainable well-managed population. This assumption, leads to very limited use of the seafood guide produced by WWF Norway and to consumers asking few questions about their seafood. While the majority of Norway’s seafood populations are in good condition, the failure of consumers to ask pertinent questions discourages the recovery of threatened species.

Strong insitutions help manage Norwegian fisheries

It has been a rainy but interesting few days in Bergen. After arriving early Monday morning, our group, composed of Katherine Bostick (WWF), Michelle Cho (New England Aquarium), Thor Lassen (Ocean Trust) and our host Børge Grønbech (Norwegian Seafood Export Council) and Carolyn Knott (Food Group) headed off to meet with Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs and Directorate of Fisheries to learn about regulations governing the management of Norwegian fisheries and aquaculture operations. Followed on Tuesday by visits with WWF Norway, Institute of Marine Research and Cermaq, which operates EWOS (an aquaculture feed company) and also has salmon farming activities. The time in Bergen wrapped up on Wednesday with a tour by Lerøy Seafood Group (salmon farm operation).

Reports from the IMR

Seafood is an important commodity for Norway's economy, accounting for 6-7% of exports, by value. Significant quantities of Norway's seafood are export as domestic supply far outstrips the demand. While wild-caught fisheries produce significantly more quantity, the aquaculture industry accounts for close to 2/3 of the value of overall seafood production, driven in part by high prices for farmed salmon in recent years.
Strong institutions and management, along with active participation from the industry help to support sustainable seafood production in Norway, though some species still have low populations and face challenges. The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) is one such institution. IMR has been in operation for over 110 years, working to provide the latest science on Norwegian fisheries, which in turn drives policy. IMR is about 50% financially supported by the ministry.

A few of the management measures include:

·       Mandatory fallowing period for all aquaculture sites after every production cycle.

·       Mandatory third-party tests on the seafloor below fish farming sites to determine the level of environmental impact on benthic communities. Sites that are found to have a high impact must have longer fallowing periods and potentially reduce stocking densities in future production cycles.

·       Mandatory landing of all catches, including bycatch species. There is a strong desire to utilize all fish, which is caught; discarding fish at sea is illegal.

·       Licenses are required for all fish farming activities. No new licenses have been issued in the past two yeas.

·       Ban on aquaculture of non-native species.

·       The national government is working with local communities to develop coastal plans

Overall, the level of transparency has impressed me. There are significant investments in research on fisheries and aquaculture (commercial species are prioritized) and much of the data companies report are publicly available.  The government and industry members we were able to meet with have been forthcoming about the work they have done to improve management and sustainability and also about some of the challenges they still face. There also appears to be a high-level of cooperation between the government, industry and NGOs. Though some of the measures are clearly working, Norway has the largest number of MSC certified fisheries in the world and was recently ranked first in the world for compliance with the FAO code of conduct for fisheries.

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!