ESTONIA
channels they use and in a manner that they prefer. The campaign’s messages take into account the national dietary recommendation to eat fish three times a week and to follow a balanced food pyramid, and the seasonality of fish in the area. The campaign promotes fish consumption in general, without highlighting specific brands, companies, or origins. In the second half of 2020, the Ministry of Rural Affairs held an idea contest in the form of an international tender to find the best slogan that could represent the fish and aquaculture product campaign. The panel chose ‘Kala kõlab hästi’
A variety of media will be used to spread the message
people’s purchasing decisions. By subscribing to the newsletter on the campaign website, people will receive information about seasonal fish, the activities of the different partners, and the points of sale. The campaign’s social media pages support the promotional activities of its partners.
Campaign materials—such as stickers with a message promoting fish products—will be provided to locations where purchasing decisions are made: all interested chain stores, restaurants, street food sellers, markets and food courier services who can then use them in their own offers and guide the
The Ministry of Rural Affairs hopes that the campaign will encourage everyone involved in the fishing industry, from producers to all the players along the value chain. It is also hoping for good ideas from representative organizations, fishers, processors, and traders about how to deliver better to meet
(Fish Sounds Good), and the main message to be promoted is that fish is ‘delicious’, ‘simple’ and ‘affordable’. The campaign starts in February 2021 and lasts until March 2023.
the hopefully growing demand. The groundwork for this already exists, so what remains is for the companies to realise the benefits and contribute to promotion of fish and seafood. A campaign that draws attention to the existence and value of fish will certainly have a positive effect on the reputation and economic performance of the undertakings that cooperate independently with the campaign. The campaign’s activities are funded using 2014-2020 resources from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Laura Freivald and Kairi Šljaiteris Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs
New state initiatives to create opportunities for the development of marine aquaculture
Giving companies the confidence to invest Estonian marine resources are largely untapped and marine aquaculture would significantly increase exports from the Estonian food industry, especially in the form of farmed fish, as global demand for fish and seafood products is growing. Estonia possesses the knowledge and the experience to farm fish and to process it into added value products.
I
n recent years, businesses in Estonia have become increasingly interested in marine aquaculture, but they also have several concerns associated with this activity. Among these is the bottlenecks in obtaining the necessary permits caused partly by the time it takes to communicate with the relevant authorities as well as to carry out the necessary research. The current procedure to obtain a licence to use marine areas is the same for all operators, regardless of the nature, size, and purpose of the project. For example, applying for a permit whether for fish cages or a marine wind park is equally complex and time consuming although they are completely different in terms of their content, scale, and
impact. Installing a fish tank in a body of water does not usually require highly sophisticated civil engineering solutions, and it can also be removed from the body of water without much effort. The same cannot be said for a wind turbine set up at sea.
New policy designed to boost investors confidence To ensure investment security for operators in the development of marine aquaculture, the Estonian state plans to play a bigger role in regulating the use of marine areas by creating a “turnkey system” for operators starting up in aquaculture. This means the
XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN
state will take on the entire process that would normally have to be done by the company itself, both to carry out the necessary research and to communicate with the various agencies. The finished project will then be auctioned, and the winner of the auction could start production immediately. The starting price of the marine area would be the costs incurred by the state to obtain it. A similar approach is being considered, for example, for marine wind parks. The purpose is to give operators confidence when making their investments. Greater state involvement could significantly speed up the whole process and encourage businesses to enter the sector.
The development of marine aquaculture contributes to the development of continental farms (for example in RAS systems), as it increases local demand for farmed fish. Marine aquaculture is also beneficial for job creation, especially in rural areas, where most operators in the fisheries sector are located. For example, a rural company farming 2,000 tonnes of fish would need 12 full-time employees to handle the production, in addition to administrative staff. It is estimated that 100 new jobs would be added to the Estonian labour market in this way, and in the event of a significant increase in production volumes, there may be a need for additional labour in processing units as well.
