by Rebecca Sherratt, Features Editor, International Aquafeed
For the very first time in its 60-year history, Nor-Fishing took to the digital stage. This was an impressive feat for the largest fishery technology exhibition in the world and was handled with great success. Over the course of three days, 223 exhibitors and 11,000 attendees from over 46 countries gathered to celebrate the latest innovations in the fish farming industry. The event featured three days of presentations, topics of which ranged from new fisheries technology to processing innovations, sustainability and COVID-19. The exhibition was remarkably polished and accessible, with easy access to all that was on offer during the event at the simple click of a button. Alongside the live presentations, attendees could examine the exhibition list and arrange meetings with companies of interest. The Lunch of the Day featured chefs producing fabulous seafood dishes to inspire attendees and various student programmes were also hosted, which gave members of academia opportunities to provide insight into the evolution of the marine sector. Day 1: Digitalisation is key Nor-Fishing 2020 was officially opened by Kjell Ingebrigtsen, Chairman of the Board of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association and of the Nor-Fishing Foundation, and Erna Solberg, the Prime Minister of Norway. Mr Ingebrigtsen thanked all the contributors that organised Nor-Fishing Digital and expressed the great work that took place in transferring the event from a physical exhibition to an online one in such a short timeframe. “For 60 years, Nor-Fishing has been a crucial part of the fishing industry. Nor-Fishing has become a tradition and a key meeting place for suppliers and friends. Unfortunately, this year the pandemic needs to be dealt with and, therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to find new and exciting, risk-free alternatives. Nor-Fishing is the biggest event globally and will continue to be so. It is a connection point for the international fishing community.” Prime Minister Solberg also expressed her admiration for NorFishing and the maritime industry in overcoming this adversity and coming together to celebrate the sector. “Most of you are spread around the world, joining us online. I am grateful to be the first in line to congratulate and welcome you to the 60th edition of the Nor-Fishing trade fair.” The theme of digitalisation was continued throughout the day, with several presentations discussing the various benefits of technology in the fishery sector. One especially interesting presentation was that of Mr Ekrem Misimi, Senior Research Scientist at SINTEF Ocean. SINTEF Ocean is an independent research organisation, based in Norway, that seeks to optimise processes for the marine sectors via technological innovation. In his presentation, Mr Misimi discussed the need for advanced
processing technology in the fishing sector, in order to minimise waste. His primary focus was upon the processing and handling of fish post-catch. “30 percent of all food produced today is lost or wasted in the value chain. Usually, this happens because the technology utilised is not suitable for handling or processing at some stages. Digitalisation is the application of key technologies and has great potential in sparking ground-breaking innovation in the industry.” Mr Misimi presented research that suggests the fisheries and aquaculture industry would greatly benefit from implementation of autonomous data collection, AI and on-board processing. These three technological developments, he noted, would lead to increases in economic growth and harvesting rates. Mr Misimi also noted that these technologies would lead to the creation of new jobs and support future growth. “Digitalisation of manual processes is a technology I am very passionate about. Being able to operate the most complex operations, currently only carried out by humans, is very promising and exciting. The technology would be great for onboard processing and handling, as it is crucial to handle and process the catch whilst onboard, to shorten the time from catch to consumer and to preserve the quality of the catch.” Day 2: Aquaculture and communities The second day of Nor-Fishing was opened by Arni Mathiesen, Special Advisor of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The presentations on this day keenly focussed on the marine sector and local communities, discussing at length how the fishing sector can help ease malnutrition, fight poverty and ensure a healthy population. Mr Mathiesen explored the FAO’s Blue Growth approach, a strategy to develop aquatic resources whilst simultaneously providing environmental, economic and social benefits for communities dependent upon fisheries. He noted that the Blue Growth approach has become increasingly more vital to develop, as a response to COVID-19. “The Blue Growth approach is of great importance in relation to the FAO’s initiative to address sustainable rural development to eradicate poverty, end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. We can lead the way to build a better future for the sector and I am confident that the substantial contribution of the Blue Approach will help fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.” A seminar was also held during the second day of the event, entitled ‘How to secure a vibrant coastal culture’. This seminar featured speakers from a variety of organisations and companies such as Nofima, the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) and Norges Teknisk-naturvitenskapelige Universitet (NTNU). The seminar was opened by the Norwegian Research Council, who expressed the need for companies to invest more in R&D in order to produce innovations that can provide significant benefits for local communities.
58 | October 2020 - International Aquafeed