New state initiatives to create opportunities for the development of marine aquaculture

channels they use and in a manner that they prefer. Th e campaign’s messages take into account the national dietary recommendation to eat fi sh three times a week and to follow a balanced food pyramid, and the seasonality of fi sh in the area. Th e campaign promotes fi sh consumption in general, without highlighting specifi c brands, companies, or origins.

In the second half of 2020, the Ministry of Rural Aff airs held an idea contest in the form of an international tender to fi nd the best slogan that could represent the fi sh and aquaculture product campaign. Th e panel chose ‘Kala kõlab hästi’ (Fish Sounds Good), and the main message to be promoted is that fi sh is ‘delicious’, ‘simple’ and ‘aff ordable’. Th e campaign starts in February 2021 and lasts until March 2023.

A variety of media will be used to spread the message

Campaign materials—such as stickers with a message promoting fi sh 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 off ers and guide the people’s purchasing decisions. By subscribing to the newsletter on the campaign website, people will receive information about seasonal fi sh, the activities of the diff erent partners, and the points of sale. Th e campaign’s social media pages support the promotional activities of its partners.

Th e Ministry of Rural Aff airs hopes that the campaign will encourage everyone involved in the fi shing industry, from producers to all the players along the value chain. It is also hoping for good ideas from representative organizations, fi shers, processors, and traders about how to deliver better to meet the hopefully growing demand. Th e groundwork for this already exists, so what remains is for the companies to realise the benefi ts and contribute to promotion of fi sh and seafood. A campaign that draws attention to the existence and value of fi sh will certainly have a positive eff ect on the reputation and economic performance of the undertakings that cooperate independently with the campaign. Th e 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 Aff airs

New state initiatives to create opportunities for the development of marine aquaculture Giving companies the confi dence to invest

Estonian marine resources are largely untapped and marine aquaculture would signifi cantly increase exports from the Estonian food industry, especially in the form of farmed fi sh, as global demand for fi sh and seafood products is growing. Estonia possesses the knowledge and the experience to farm fi sh and to process it into added value products.

In 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. Th e 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 fi sh cages or a marine wind park is equally complex and time consuming although they are completely diff erent in terms of their content, scale, and impact. Installing a fi sh 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 eff ort. Th e same cannot be said for a wind turbine set up at sea.

New policy designed to boost investors confi dence

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. Th is means the 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. Th e fi nished project will then be auctioned, and the winner of the auction could start production immediately. Th e 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. Th e purpose is to give operators confi dence when making their investments. Greater state involvement could signifi cantly speed up the whole process and encourage businesses to enter the sector. Th e development of marine aquaculture contributes to the development of continental farms (for example in RAS systems), as it increases local demand for farmed fi sh. Marine aquaculture is also benefi cial for job creation, especially in rural areas, where most operators in the fi sheries sector are located. For example, a rural company farming 2,000 tonnes of fi sh 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 signifi cant increase in production volumes, there may be a need for additional labour in processing units as well.