Per Sandberg, Norway’s new Minister for Fisheries, will formally open the 11th North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) Conference in Bergen on March 2 with a speech entitled “The Seafood Sector – Our Work Towards Increased Production and Competitiveness.” His address will be delivered on the second day of the March 1-3 gathering at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, which is expected to be attended by more than 900 delegates representing 300 companies from 35 countries.
Per Sandberg, Norway’s Minister for Fisheries, will speak on March 2.“The seafood sector plays a key part both in meeting global food security challenges and in creating economic growth and welfare in Norway,” said Sandberg. “I think both increased sustainable production and competitiveness will be of the highest importance in the future.”
Billed as the “world’s largest seafood business conference,” the annual industry networking platform covers all major facets of the seafood sector from cutting edge innovation, technology, research, policy and finance to trade and commercialization. Approximately 100 speakers will present papers during 10 seminars, which will range from “Market Opportunities for Cod in China” and “The Global White Fish Supply, Market and Price Outlook” to “Outlook for Global Pelagic Industry Supplies
and Pricing” and “Seafood Supply and Demand Trends in Major European Retail Markets.”
Among those offering input about retail supermarket merchandising and sales developments will be Belgium-based Jean- Jacques Vandenheede of Nielsen, Julien Mahieu of Delhaize, Hervé Streifer of Metro, and Romain Fageot of Intermarché.
Salmon Supply, Markets, Prices
A half-day workshop from 2 to 6 PM on March 2, moderated by Henning Lund of Pareto Securities, will be dedicated to “Salmon Supply, Markets and Prices.” Feature industry experts will include Lars Liabo of Kongtali, Ola Brattvoll of Marine Harvest Group, Klaus Hatlebrekke of Norway Royal Salmon, and Jose Ramon Guitiérrez of MultiExport.
An all-day session on March 3, running from 9 AM to 4 PM, will be dedicated to seafood industry financing. Among those on the roster of business leaders addressing the subject will be Alf Helge Aarskog and Trond Williksen, chief executive officers, respectively, of Marine Harvest and the AKVA Group.
Big Presence from Iceland
Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, Iceland’s Minister for Fisheries, will deliver the keynote address on March 3.Icelandic Minister for Fisheries Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson will head a group of 12 large seafood firms – among them HB Grandi, Icelandic, Iceland Seafood, Fjardarlax, Saemark and Stofnfiskur – that will participate in the NASF conference. They represent enterprises with annual export value of around €1.7 billion.
The Iceland seafood and fishing business is one of the most important industries in the country, consisting of over 900 companies employing 9,000 people directly involved in fishing and fish processing . Total seafood exports from Iceland in 2015 reached some 1.3 million tons worth roughly € 2.0 billion.
Minister Johannsson will formally open the NASF Fisheries and Wild Catch Day sessions on the morning of March 3 with a keynote address entitled “The Future of Wild Capture Fisheries.”
Snow Crab, Lobster and Prawns
The International Cold Water Prawn Forum (ICWPF) will host a side event at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum focusing on snow crab, lobster and prawns. Organized by GEMBA Seafood Consulting A/S of Denmark, it will take place on March 3 from 9 AM to 3 PM.
The first of three sessions will begin with opening remarks from Chairman Simon Jarding of Royal Greenland, followed by presentations from Mike Berthet of MJ Seafoods, John Sackton of Seafood News, and Lise Lotte Callensøoe York of Royal Greenland.
