20 minute read
Repor� ng on a special week in Trondheim
Face to face – at last!
The industry’s biggest trade show has a new, hybrid format
Like so many events this year, the Aqua Nor trade show in Trondheim this year nearly didn’t happen – and when it did it was in a diff erent format, adap� ng to the condi� ons of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the rules changed again even during the week of the event, with Trondheim municipality manda� ng the use of face masks indoors on the last day.
Despite all that it has been hailed a success, with a great turnout for the physical exhibi� on and a new digital pla� orm that brought Trondheim to the people who were not able to be there in person.
Kris� an Digre, General Manager of the Nor-Fishing Founda� on, which manages Aqua Nor, said: “The number of � ckets that have been sold is a record. Exhibitors at the physical exhibi� on say it has been a huge success and there have been more contracts signed than ever!”
This year’s show ran in a hybrid format, with a physical exhibi� on once again in Trondheim’s Spektrum centre, and a live streaming channel broadcas� ng events and presenta� ons to a remote audience.
The online show, using the Expobo digital pla� orm, also hosted digital “stands” and included a facility for virtual mee� ngs during the exhibi� on.
The hybrid format has also extended the life of the event, allowing digital a� endees to catch up with recorded presenta� ons and webinars. The pla� orm – which will be live for 12 months – can also be used for online follow-up mee� ngs with exhibitors and visitors.
The winner of the award for best physical stand, as chosen by the Aqua Nor commi� ee, was fi sh handling and delicing specialist Op� mar. The judges described the stand as “a real eye-catcher, with superb design”. It also had its own private mee� ng room and a dedicated barista. Shortlisted for the award were Salt Ship Design and S� m.
Monitoring and biomass measurement business OptoScale AS was judged to have the best digital stand, bea� ng a shortlist of Laboly� c AS, Atlan� c Canada, Benchmark and MSD Animal Health.
Digre said that the organisers may be running some more live streams or webinars through the rest of the year, using the Aqua Nor pla� orm, adding: “It will be a hybrid exhibi� on for the years to come. It is more valuable for exhibitors and visitors – both formats are here to stay!”
Lars Gellein Halvorsen, Project Manager at aquaculture technology group Alvestad Marin, said: “It was great to see so many people with similar interests coming together and a real sign of op� mism... it was good to see people face to face again.”
Aquaculture technology company Ace Aquatec was represented at the show in person by its Norway-based team, including Preben Imset Matre, Regional Manager, Northern Europe.
He said: “Aqua Nor is something we’ve all been looking forward to ... we’ve been able to meet people we’ve not seen in a long � me, but also had the opportunity to see people we’ve only had online rela� onships with. In-person events give and take a lot of energy that you forget when in lockdown, but there’s a real appeal to interac� ng, se� ng up base and sharing what Ace Aquatec has been up to.
“Collec� vely as an industry, I’m hoping this marks the fi rst of many more in-person events to come.”
For many companies based outside Norway, however, Aqua Nor 2021 was an all-digital aff air. Marc Wilson, Group Marke� ng Manager at technology and aquaculture services group Gael Force, said: “While it was no match for exhibi� ng physically and mee� ng up in person, it was useful to remain involved in Aqua Nor from afar. The digital “It was great to see so many people with similar interests coming together”
Above: Scenes from a busy Aqua Nor community that was built up though the pla� orm was excellent and there was defi nitely a higher level of professionalism and presenta� on during the live streaming.”
He added: “There was a strong feeling of community around the exhibi� on… hybrid exhibi� ons appear to be the way ahead.”
At Aqua Nor 2019 Team Scotland – Sco� sh Development Interna� onal (SDI), Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Sco� sh Aquaculture Innova� on Centre and Marine Scotland – co-ordinated a workshop to highlight supply chain businesses based in Scotland. This year, SDI had a digital stand to promote Sco� sh business, supported by SAIC and HIE colleagues.
Iain Sutherland, Senior Development Manager, Food and Drink at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, worked with SDI on Aqua Nor 2021. He says: “The virtual show was very impressive, even if not as eff ec� ve as a face-to-face event would have been. There was a lot of traffi c for the stand and we did get a number of enquiries.”
He added that SDI and HIE are looking ahead to Aqua Nor 2023 and preparing their case for the return of a Sco� sh Pavilion.
Breeding, gene� cs and animal health specialist Benchmark Group had staff present at the show, but opted for a digital-only stand, which was shortlisted as one of the fi ve best digital stands by the Aqua Nor commi� ee.
Marke� ng Director Birgi� e Sorheim told Fish Farmer: “We also had two mee� ng rooms at the venue in Trondheim where our commercial team met up with customers. This worked very well and was an effi cient way to combine physical and digital presence without taking high risk of eventually any sudden lockdowns or Covid restric� ons.”
She added: “The feedback from my team was that it was great to meet customers and prospects in person. We even signed a contract with a new customer at the event!”
While the “digital foo� all” for Benchmark was good, with 700 online visitors, Sorheim believes there is no subs� tute for an in-person trade show. FF
AQUA NOR IN NUMBERS
In-person visitors at Trondheim Spektrum: 16,652 Joined live stream events: 9,150 Logged into digital pla� orm: 8,232 Joined digital live chats: 1,200
Source: Nor-Fishing Founda� on
Aquaculture technology business SeaRAS was declared as the winner of the prestigious Aqua Nor Innovation Award.
THE prize was presented by Norway’s Fisheries Minister, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, to SeaRAS General Manager Eldar Lien at the opening of this year’s Aqua Nor trade show in Trondheim.
Bergen-based company SeaRAS won its award for Aquasense, a new method for measuring and monitoring water parameters and especially H2S – otherwise known as hydrogen sulphide – at low levels in fi sh farms and tanks in wellboats.
H2S is a major threat for fi sh farming and recircula� ng aquaculture systems (RAS) in par� cular.
The SeaRAS system is capable of monitoring H2S down to a very low level, 0.1µg/L (micrograms per litre), with an alarm triggered when the level of H2S reaches a given level. The system is already installed in many RAS farms and is also used in some wellboats to control levels of H2S in tanks before live fi sh are pumped on board and during transport/treatment.
Two other companies were shortlisted for the Innova� on Award: Portugal’s NORAS Global, which has developed U Safe, a remotely controlled lifebuoy for lifesaving in the case of person overboard incidents; and VAKI, part of the MSD Animal Health group, for its Density Control system, which – as part of the VAKI SmartFlow system, monitors, controls and automates fi sh density to maximise fi sh welfare, and to enhance grading, vaccina� on and coun� ng.
Deal makers
This year’s show saw some important contracts signed
Aqua Nor provides an ideal opportunity for industry players to meet and do deals. This year’s show saw Benchmark Gene� cs and MMC First Process each fi nalise agreements with their aquaculture customers. Benchmark concluded an agreement with land-based salmon producer Premium Svensk Lax to supply eggs for a new RAS farm in
Sweden. Sweden.
The Premium Svensk site at Säffl e, Värmland, is currently under construc� on and, when completed, will have an annual capacity of construc� on and, when completed, will have an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes. It is expected to start full-scale produc� on in 2024. 10,000 tonnes. It is expected to start full-scale produc� on in 2024.
Benchmark, as the sole supplier, will provide gene� cs from its Benchmark, as the sole supplier, will provide gene� cs from its biosecurity facili� es in Iceland for a three-year period, with an biosecurity facili� es in Iceland for a three-year period, with an op� on for another two years.
The deal was signed by Morten Malle, CEO of Premium Svensk Lax, and Jan-Emil Johannessen, Head of Benchmark Gene� cs.
Malle said: “We are working on the groundwork of the plant in Säffl e and the plan is that we will introduce the fi rst eggs in the hatchery in early 2023. Our goal is to bring locally produced, sustainable and healthy
From the top: Morten Malle (R) and Jan Emil Johannessen signing; The Sä ffl e site; CEO Pe� er Fauske (L) and CSO Frank Vike from MMC First Process premium salmon to the Swedish market. Then we must also be sure that the gene� cs we put into the plant come from a quality producer that also has a focus on sustainability and biosecurity. I believe we found those quali� es in Benchmark Gene� cs.”
Geir Olav Melingen, Commercial Director at Benchmark Gene� cs, commented: “The plant now under construc� on in Värmland is based on an exci� ng concept where processing is also an important part of the plans. Sweden is in a unique posi� on, being able to freely export salmon to a number of countries where Norway encounters trade restric� ons. This opens up opportuni� es for a formidable produc� on growth for when Premium Svensk Lax succeeds, and we want to par� cipate in that journey.”
The plant, which can handle processing as well as taking the fi sh all the way through from hatching to grow-out, is intended to supply 20% of the Swedish market for salmon.
Benchmark has recently signed similar deals with interna� onal land-based fi sh farmer Pure Salmon and Singapore RAS, which is building a land-based farm in the Far East.
This year’s Aqua Nor also saw MMC First Process signing an agreement to deliver a complete system for fi sh handling for phase two of the American giant land-based facility Atlan� c Sapphire Bluehouse.
Phase 1 of the Florida-based recircula� ng aquaculture system (RAS) facility is already one of the leading producers in this growing sector.
MMC’s CEO Pe� er Fauske commented: “Although we have several other customers in the US, and on similar projects, there is a high degree of innova� on at the Atlan� c Sapphire plant. If we are to maintain our posi� on as a world leader in our fi eld, we must con� nue to work with the companies that are at the forefront of development – and we are doing this on this project.”
He added: “There are very many who engage in land-based farming here at the fair – and our agreement has created a talking point.” FF
Blue is the new green
Seafood can and should be a sustainable resource
Aqua Nor saw some of the industry’s biggest talking points being aired in a series of online debates, webinars and presenta� ons.
Opening the event on Monday, ahead of the trade show’s offi cial start, a high-level panel presented their thoughts on the role of aquaculture in the world economy and, specifi cally, its poten� al contribu� on to a green future.
The speakers were Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, Ohad Maiman, CEO of the land-based yellowtail producer Kingfi sh; Pe� er Mar� n Johannessen, Director General of the aquafeed trade body IFFO; and Carlos Duarte, a marine ecologist with the United Na� ons Food and Agricultural Organisa� on.
Brende, a na� ve of Trondheim, said that management of the ocean was integral to tackling global warming and the challenges it posed. This would need knowledge – Brende pointed out that 80% of the ocean has not even been fully explored yet – and innova� ve fi nance solu� ons. He said: “I am hopeful, because I see progress being made every day.”
Ohad Maiman gave an account of how his business had adapted to Covid-19 condi� ons, during what had been a challenging year for the seafood industry. The Kingfi sh Company, he said, had successfully pivoted from the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) market to supplying consumers through retail, and now HoReCa was recovering.
He said: “Wild-caught and tradi� onal aquaculture can be done sustainably, but there is s� ll not enough seafood to meet demand – RAS technology meets this need.”
IFFO’s Pe� er Mar� n Johannessen talked about the future of marine ingredients in aquafeed, no� ng that while total aquafeed produc� on has gone up by more than 300% since 2000, the volume of marine ingredients has remained almost sta� c. The expected increased demand for seafood creates a challenge, he said, and the industry expects that an extra 30 million tonnes of aquafeed per year will be required by 2030.
With alterna� ve sources such as insects or microalgae struggling to upscale, this will not be easy, he said, but the industry is now looking at greater use of marine byproducts as well as new ingredients and mesopelagic species from deeper levels of the ocean than are usually fi shed. FF
THURSDAY saw the offi cial christening of the new service boat AQS Tor. Built by Moen Marin for aquaculture services business AQS, the Tor was in the news earlier this year when the cargo ship carrying it to Norway, the Eemslift Hendrika, was wrecked in a storm in the North Sea.
The AQS Tor was washed off the Hendrika, but miraculously stayed afl oat in the storm. As the coastguard had to priori� se saving the cargo vessel and its crew – who were fortunately all brought safely back to shore – AQS hired a private salvage crew to secure the service boat.
The christening ceremony took place under calmer condi� ons at Trondheim harbour.
Top left: Børge Brende Top right: Aqua Nor Above: Ohad Maiman
Telling the story
Transparency and commitment to action are the ways to win public trust
How can the aquaculture industry improve its image? That was the subject of one of the keynote debates at Aqua Nor 2021.
The online discussion was chaired by Chris Guldberg, Director of Communica� ons and PR at the Norwegian Seafood Council, and the panellists were: Silje Båtsvik Risholm, Senior Adviser, Aquaculture with not-for-profi t body the Bellona Founda� on; Øyvind Andre Haram, Head of Communica� ons at the Norwegian Seafood Federa� on; and Dag Sletmo “fi sh and fi nance enthusiast” with DNB, one of Scandinavia’s leading banks.
Risholm, who works with industry to encourage more sustainable prac� ces, said that aquaculture did have some environmental ques� ons to which it needs to face up.
She stressed: “To pretend that there are no issues, when clearly there are, does not build trust or confi dence.”
Haram agreed that “we have to be more open” but added that the Federa� on’s annual survey suggested that in Norway at least, the public’s a� tude towards the industry was more posi� ve than when polling started 12 years ago.
As Sletmo pointed out, fi sh farming businesses are now much more likely to have communica� ons professionals on their team and they are be� er at telling their story. He added that the industry needed to focus more on quality, sustainability and selling at a premium price, rather than simply on volume.
Haram referred to the Federa� on’s Seafood 2030 document, which sets out the industry’s sustainability goals. He said: “We are part of the solu� on – and we need to tell people we are part of the solu� on!”
Also the subject of debates at Aqua Nor were: fi sh farming and the Norwegian tax regime; is the future of fi sh farming land-based, off shore or at sea? the prospects for cod farming; and is seaweed the answer?
As with previous shows the Research Plaza provided an opportunity to hear from researchers and prac� � oners about the latest advances in knowledge for the sector.
Subjects ranged from the polychaetes worm – which loves to eat the sludge from fi sh farms and can in turn be fed back to the fi sh as an ingredient in aquafeed – to the welfare of cleaner fi sh and the use of oceanography to model the poten� al spread of waterborne viruses. Aquaculture deals with complex, living organisms in natural environments and this creates some of the biggest challenges. As Audun Iversen of Nofi ma put it: “Biology eats technology for breakfast.” Throughout the week, students working in the fi eld of aquaculture also gave online presenta� ons, and, as has become a tradi� on at Aqua Nor, the fi nal day of the show was Student Day. This year, nearly 1,000 students had registered, an increase of 40% from previous years. Many followed the Student Day digitally, while the number of students at the physical fair reached maximum capacity.
Subscribers to the digital event can access recorded webinars and debates online over the next 12 months at aquanor.no/en (English) or aquanor.no (Norwegian). FF
Top, Clockwise, from top left: Chris Guldberg, Silje Båtsvik Risholm, Dag Sletmo and Øyvind Andre Haram Above right: Julie Elise Trovaag, student
Political dimension
Trondheim provided the perfect opportunity for ministers to meet
Aqua Nor 2021 opened with an online address from Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, Co-Chair of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, which has set out an agenda for ac� on backed by the leaders of 14 countries, aimed at preserving the world’s marine resources and helping to tackle climate change.
She paid tribute to the contribu� on made by Norway’s aquaculture sector and the businesses that support it, and said: “Shi� ing to ‘blue food’ has considerable upsides for both human health and that of the planet… my government believes in developing resources, and the seafood industry, with management based on facts and science.”
The world of poli� cs was also represented in person by two fi sheries ministers: Norway’s Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen and the UK’s Victoria Pren� s.
The two ministers took the opportunity of their visit to Trondheim to discuss bilateral agreements between the two countries, par� cularly in rela� on to seafood, in the fi rst face-to-face mee� ng they had had with each other a� er many months of nego� a� ons – handled remotely – in the run up to the UK-Norwegian free trade agreement struck earlier this year.
They said Norway and the UK were close neighbours and shared many of the same views on the sustainable management of fi sh stocks, and they pledged to build on that rela� onship. At the mee� ng, the ministers also discussed the forthcoming requirements for a health cer� fi cate when expor� ng seafood from Norway to the UK.
Speaking at the opening of Aqua Nor, Victoria Pren� s said this year’s agreement between the UK and Norway had benefi ted – among others – Norwegian producers and UK-based processors and aquafeed manufacturers.
She noted that Norwegian fi sh farmers have invested in the salmon industry in Scotland, but added that there are also opportuni� es to invest in aquaculture elsewhere in UK, par� cularly in the seaweed and shellfi sh sectors in Devon and Cornwall.
Pren� s also met the leaders of Seafood Norway over issues such as future veterinary border controls between the two countries. The Bri� sh Ambassador to Norway, Richard Wood, also took part in the talks. Pren� s said a� erwards: “It was a pleasure to visit Norway and meet with Minister Ingebrigtsen… While we agree on many issues, there are fi sheries management issues where we have diff erences. However, the strength of our rela� onship means that we can discuss areas of disagreement maturely and construc� vely. “The UK and Norway have much in common as independent coastal states, and with increased investment in our vibrant aquaculture industries we are both key producers of sustainable seafood.” FF
Above: Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen and Victoria Pren� s interviewed Below left: Erna Solberg
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