Sustainorbility! 2022 Norwegian-UK Seafood Summit flies the flag for sustainability
T
he annual Norwegian-UK Seafood Summit, hosted by the Norwegian Seafood Council’s UK Director, Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr, took place digitally recently. It brought together experts from both the UK and Norway, to share knowledge and insight about sustainability, the steps that the industry have already taken to become more sustainable, and what is needed for a sustainable future. Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr detailed how Norwegian exports of cod and haddock to the UK rose by 10% last year. 2021 was in fact the best ever year for Norwegian seafood exports as a whole, across all species, which reached 3.1 million tonnes. Fish & chip shops as well as retail, benefitted from this growth and Hans urged the industry to encourage consumers to embrace the health advantages, as well as to become “more sustainability aware”. CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), Renate Larsen, reminded the audience of the current food crisis we find ourselves in globally. She emphasised the need for sustainably caught fish and seafood to be part of the solution in the future of food debate, as well as being included as an important element of the flexitarian diet. CJ Jackson from the Billingsgate Seafood School explained how the public – who can buy fish in Billingsgate from 6am and attend the Seafood School to learn how to cook fish and seafood properly – tend to rely on their fish retailers to understand sustainability. As most fish is sold precut in retail, CJ underlined how important storytelling is, so consumers understand the connection between pre-cut fillets and where they come from.
6
Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • February 2022
Cod and haddock are by far the most popular fish of choice in fish & chip shops. Recent research shows that 9 out of 10 diners (87%) agree that sustainable fish is important to them, yet only a quarter (24%) know what to look for when it comes to sustainable fish in their fish & chip shop. This backs up CJ’s point and shows there’s an opportunity to better signpost and tell consumers about the origins of their fish supper. Hans adds: “As we move into the new year, we aim to work even more closely with operators to educate them on the importance of origin and sustainability. We will be providing them with all the tools they need to tell the story and reassure their customers that they can eat cod and haddock with confidence, when they choose Seafood from Norway.” The summit hosted other spokespeople including:
• Bjørnar Skjæran, Norwegian Minister of Fisheries
• Marcus Coleman, CEO of Seafish • Tor Bjørklund Larsen, Norwegian Fishermen’s Association
• Claire Roper, Head of Marketing &
Innovation, Foodservice for Quorn Foods
• Cameron Moffat, Young’s Seafood Sustainability Manager
• Hans Petter Næs, Norwegian Seafood Research Fund
For further insight and opinion on seafood as a part of a sustainable future, please access the webinar by visiting: http://bit.ly/NSCSeafoodSummit2022 To learn more about Norway’s unique location, diverse seafood, generations of experience, and industry-leading sustainable fishing techniques, go to seafoodfromnorway.co.uk Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • February 2022
6
