We at the Nor-Fishing Foundation wish to stimulate creativity and innovation among our exhibitors. That is why we give an award for the Best stand. The standard of this year’s stands was higher than ever, and the Jury had a difficult task identifying the three finalists.

In the end, the results were:

• Steinsvik AS (Stand D-321 and U-816)
• Norse Aqua (Stand B-129)
• AKVA group (Stand D-340 and Skansen)

The three stands stood out among the hundreds of other stands by meeting the requirements of the Jury with regard to:

• Is the stand eye-catching?
• Does the stand attract attention and visitors?
• Does the stand give clear and relevant information about what it is supposed to market?

We once again congratulate Steinsvik Aqua with its victory.

We have never before had so many exhibitors. We have never before had so many visitors from so many different countries. And never before has Aqua Nor attracted so much attention, both nationally and internationally. In short: Aqua Nor 2015 was a great success.

As organizers of the exhibition, we have spent a lot of time and effort on promoting the exhibition internationally. The previous record for the number of nations represented by visitors stood at 65 (Aqua Nor 2013), and we felt this would be impossible to beat. But this year a total of 76 nations were represented, and the old record was beaten to smithereens.

Record number of visitors
In 2013 we were proud to report that as many as 18 500 people visited the exhibition. We set the target for 2015 at 20 000 visitors. This year’s record number of 20 848 of visitors is well above our target.

Record number of exhibitors
The number of exhibitors also increased markedly from the last Aqua Nor. At the end, we counted 550 exhibitors, compared to 480 in 2013. The increase of 70 extra exhibitors forced us to erect new temporary halls several times so that the exhibition area could be expanded.

Record media attention
Over the years we have had a very good media interest in Norway. Although most of the increase in our promotion this year has been directed at foreign markets, the media interest in Norway broke all records, too. Over 180 articles were published online alone in local, regional and national media during the exhibition. The great interest among the Norwegian media was caused primarily by the fantastic exhibitors. They show great enthusiasm with regard to innovation and this creates interest in the media.

Record quality of the stands
Our logistics partners tell us that they have never delivered so many products for the exhibitors. More and more of them bring the technology and the equipment to the stands, while at the same time they put more effort into the design and the quality of the stands. This makes the exhibition more alive and more interesting. And it makes the visitors feel they experience the latest technology in the industry. The Best Stand award was won by Steinsvik Aqua, which even had two stands, one inside in Hall D, and one in the outside area.

Friday = Student Day
The last day of the exhibition was dedicated to the industry’s future: the students of aquaculture. A special conference and a speed dating event brought exhibitors and student together, and over 200 students participated in these activities. The Student Day became an arena for recruitment and bridging the gap between today’s industry and
the future generation of industry leaders.

The Innovation Award
Technological innovation is the most important foundation for both the international and the national attention that the exhibition is accorded. That is why we at Aqua Nor are so keen to give our attention to the innovators who are present. The Nor-Fishing Foundation Innovation Award for 2015 was won by Stranda Prolog and its barge-based salmon hospital, tailor-made to fight salmon lice in an environmentally friendly way. Altogether, 17 exciting applicants were this year competing for the Innovation Award diploma and prize money of NOK 100 000. The runners up for the prize were Storvik Aqua with their camera-based biomass measuring equipment and Protex’s specially designed work clothes.

Popular seminar was turned into a webcast
The seminar on «Is Norwegian aquaculture technology relevant for other countries and other species», organized by the Nor-Fishing Foundation, The Institute of Marine Research and the Directorate of Fisheries, became very popular. The surprisingly high number of people who wanted to attend made it necessary for us to film the whole seminar and upload it as a webcast on www.aqua-nor.no. But it was not only this seminar that attracted attention. Practically all seminars, mini-conferences and presentations during the exhibition were fully booked. And all the meeting rooms available were also fully booked.

Tell us what you think!
So far, the feedback that we have had from exhibitors and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. We hope that all will use the opportunity to tell us what they think about Aqua Nor 2015 by participating in the survey that we have sent to all exhibitors and visitors. All responses will be read and analysed carefully. We depend on your participation in order to create an even better and more record-breaking event in August 2017.

Our big thanks to all who participated!

The BioMar Group will present a donation to The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) in connection with the official opening of Aqua Nor 2015, and the Minister of Fisheries, Elisabeth Aspaker, will be present for the occasion.

AWR is a recently established research fund with the objective to secure a sustainable management of the living marine resources in the Antarctic, and to stimulate human understanding of the marine ecosystem and animal life in the region.

Towards the end of the VIP tour of the exhibition at the end of the official opening of Aqua Nor 2015, Mr. Jan Røsstad, Vice President of BioMar North Sea, will present a donation to the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund, represented by Karoline Andaur, professional chief of WWF Norway.

AWR will announce the availability of funds for Antarctic research and jobs that will increase the understanding of animal life and the ecosystem in the Antarctic. The financing of AWR is mainly through direct donations from commercial partners as well as a number of activities that consumers and others may participate in. The research effort is particularly focused on krill and marine animals like penguins, seals and whales, all of which have krill as an important source of food.

Research applications to the fundwill be evaluated and prioritized by a scientific committee consisting of world  renown Antarctic researchers. The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund was established in February 2015 by representatives of ASOC – Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition -, WWF Norway and Aker Biomarine.

Read more:  www.antarcticfund.org.

The press can contact the fund at  info@antarcticfund.org or telephone +47 24 13 01 41.

Just after the official opening of Aqua Nor 2015, Nofima researchers will take the stage and present some of the opportunities for sustainable growth in the aquaculture industry base don their latest research results in the fields of closed systems, cleaning-fish, breeding and Omega3 and more.

Get a cup of coffee and a donut and join the seminar «Opportunities for sustainable growth» in the Conference tent close to the main entrance from 12:00 till 13:00 hrs on Tuesday 18 August. There will be six short lectures in one hour, presented in PechaKucha format, where the researcher presents his research through 20 slides, each presented in 20 seconds.

The issues presented are:

• Growth – what does it mean to environmental, economic and social sustainability in the aquaculture industry?, by Roy Robertsen, Senior Researcher.
• Can the industry grow with closed systems? By Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, Senior Researcher
• Can lumpfish grow in closed systems? By Lill-Heidi Johansen, Researcher
• Disease can be reduced through breeding, by Marie Lillehammer, Researcher
• Salmon is an Omega3 producer, by Gerd Marit Berge, Senior Researcher
• This is how we do research next to the cage, by Jens Erik Dessen, Researcher

After the seminar you may dig deeper in the issues that the researcher are presenting by reading the material that will be distributed, or meet them at our stand on Tuesday between 13:00 and 15:00 hrs.

The Food research institute Nofima supplies research-based knowledge to those who produce food, whether it comes from fishing, fish farming, animal farming or crop production.

Great interest in Norway and abroad for the Nor-Fishing Foundation Innovation Award 2015!

The Nor-Fishing Foundation has received 17 proposals for this year’s Innovation Award. Many companies and individuals show great interest in developing and improving processes and technology for the aquaculture industry. Chairman of the Board Liv Holmefjord and Director Ola Eriksen are very satisfied with this year’s applicants.

The Jury, which has reviewed all the applications on a professional basisd, completed its work last week and has now submitted its recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Foundation. The Jury has consisted of Kjell Maroni, The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund, Senior advisor Oddvar Staulen, Innovation Norway, and Jan Henrik Sandberg, Senior Advisor, thew Norwegian Fishermen’s Association.

The Jury has picked out the following three finalists:

Protex AS (Ålen/Trondheim) has, together with SINTEF Teknologi og Samfunn (SINTEF Technology and Society) as their development partner, as well as with central organizations in the aquaculture industry, developed work clothes especially adapted to tomorrow’s needs in the aquaculture industry. The concept includes clothing that will function in all seasons and weather conditions for the individual. Health, Environment and Safety considerations and improved economics have played a central part in the development.

Storvik Aqua AS (Sunndalsøra) and EBTech AS (Molde) have cooperated on submitting an patent application for a system for biomass measuring of salmon based on a 3D technique using high density cameras and filter combinations that give a precise basis for calculating fish biomass. They have developed advanced picture handling algorithms that give mass calculations of a very high degree of accuracy. The system’s objective is +/- 1% deviations.

Stranda Prolog AS (Averøy). This project has been develop in cooperation with Måsøval Fish Farming Co and consists of a barge, HeliXir, with tanks and equipment for medicinal treatment (against lice etc.) next to the floating cages. The system is expected to reduce the amount of medication used for lice treatment by 90 – 98%. The system filtrates all emission fluids and can also be closed to avoid any and all emissions. One retains control of the fish during treatment and the concentration level of the treatment fluids is at 133 m3, total water usage is expected to be 350 – 500 m3. By comparison, the chemical agents must be mixed with 7 000 m3 when used in a well boat, and 20 000 m3 when using a tarpaulin around the cage.

The Board of Directors of the Nor-Fishing Foundation will discuss the proposed winners in a meeting on Monday 17 August, and the Innovation Award, consisting of NOK 100 000 and a diploma,  will be presented to the winner during the Festive Evening in Trondheim at Scandic Nidelven Hotel on Tuesday 18 August.

For more information, please contact Project Manager Kari Steinsbø, tel. +47 7356 8640, e-mail: kari@nor-fishing.no

Troms County has taken the initiative to present the aquaculture industry in the county at this year’s Aqua Nor. The objective is to create more visibility, improve cooperation and increase the spreading effects of the industry in the county.

The objective of the joint stand «Troms – Arctic Knowledge» is to stimulate cooperation and increase visibility of the participants vis-a-vis customers and cooperating partners, and to strengthen network building among the various actors in Troms County. The marine know-how company SALT and Project Manager Kjersti Eline Tønnessen Busch are charged with planning, coordinating and implementation of the Troms County stand.

Debates and dialogues
On Wednesday 19th of August from 15:30-17:00 the stand invites interested parties to an open seminar, followed by discussions, on environment-based area regulations and growth in the aquaculture industry. The debate will focus on growth in the industry related to:

– The industry’s reputation and local value creation along the coast
– The municipalities’ ability to make enough space available
– Equal treatment of small, medium and large companies
– The environmental and other interests in the coastal zone

«We are looking forward to an exciting dialogue, and we are especially happy that Minister of Fisheries Elisabeth Aspaker, who used to be Deputy County Mayor of Troms County, and who has been appointed Governor of the County, will give the keynote presentation focusing on the new management regime for the aquaculture industry,” comments Gunnar Davidsson, department head in the County administration, and responsible for the project.

A taste of Troms
During the exhibition, seafood chef Einar Hallstensen will service seafood delicacies from Troms. In addition, students from Northern Troms College, Department of Aquaculture, will serve their own smoked salmon in the Seafood Bar at Troms – Arctic Knowledge”.

The following exhibitors can been visited at stand G-701:

– Marin Fiskehelse AS (fish health)
– Olivita AS (bio-marine industrial operator)
– FUNN AS (IT supplier)
– Havbruksstasjonen i Tromsø (R&D)
– Karlsøy kommune (coastal municipality)
– Lenvik kommune (coastal municipality)
– SalMar (salmon producer)
– Framtidsfjorden Gratangen (cooperation between SPIRE Gratangen, Astafjord Industrier AS and Gratanglaks AS)
– Haplast (Pipeline producer)
– Kystplan Troms (Inter-municipality cooperation)
– Nofima NAMAB (National centre for marine bio-processing)
– Akvaplan-niva AS (research and aquaculture services)
– Nord-Troms Videregående Skole (Educational institution)

Benchmark Holdings PLC is more than a holding company. Together with Fish Vet Group, SalmoBreed and StofnFiskur, the company represents a major effort in fish health and sustainable food production. They will all be present at Aqua Nor 2015 to spread the word about what they do individually and together as a group.

Dr. Matt Haslam is head of marketing for Benchmark’s aquaculture involvement. He explains why the whole Benchmark family goes to Aqua Nor. “All visitors to Aqua Nor are either important customers or potential customers for us. We know that the cost of participating in Aqua Nor will be recovered quickly. It is at Aqua Nor that the industry gets together.”

Benchmark Holdings PLC
Benchmark Holdings which is listed on AIM, a market operated by London Stock Exchange owns Fish Vet Group and the recently merged salmon ova producers Salmobreed and Stofnfiskur. 80% of Benchmark’s activities are aquaculture related.

Benchmark Holdings PLC will have their own stand (F-527), while Fish Vet Group (B-100) and SalmoBreed/StofnFiskur (D-349) also will have separate stands. “The Benchmark stand will be used to inform about what we are involved with as a group. Our objective is to supply the best possible solutions for sustainable food production.”

StofnFiskur / SalmoBreed
StofnFiskur and SalmoBreed are well known in the aquaculture industry. The two ova suppliers have merged since the last Aqua Nor exhibition. “At their stand there will be a lot of exciting things happening. One of the main messages is that we can supply the salmon industry with robust ova 52 weeks of the year – and we need to point out the advantages of this.” says Haslam.

Fish Vet Group
Fish Vet Group is the world’s largest supplier of services for improved fish health in the aquaculture industry. The company has actively recruited the best veterinarians in the industry – and at Aqua Nor they will display the expertise they have developed through the years. “Fish Vet Group Norge is a relatively new company – and our aim is that people who visit their stand shall gain knowledge about their laboratory and know that Fish Vet Group Norge offers a unique service of industry leading histopathology and PCR diagnostics from one laboratory”.

In addition to its services, Fish Vet Group also work alongside Benchmark Animal Health Ltd to develop innovative products for aquaculture, including the market leader for fighting sea lice, Salmosan Vet.

Sales, collaboration and discussions
Dr. Haslam promises that the four companies have great plans for the exhibition. “We will have three days of seminars, demonstrations, lectures, discussions and meetings. We are looking forward to meeting fish farmers, fish health workers, managers and other companies. Collaboration with other companies in the same sector as us is also of interest – so we are looking forward with great anticipation to what opportunities these days at the exhibition will bring us,” concludes Dr. Haslam.

Read more about the exhibitors by clicking here:

http://fishvetgroup.no
http://www.benchmarkplc.com/
http://www.salmobreed.no/
http://stofnfiskur.is/

 

Some of our exhibitors have from time to time been contacted by companies like Expo Guide, Fair Guide and other companies which offer false catalogue entries on the internet.

The offers have been formulated in a way which gives the receiver an impression that these companies are co-operating with Nor-Fishing / Aqua Nor which is not the case.

Neither Nor-Fishing / Aqua Nor has ever released any client data to these companies and we will strongly recommend you to maculate any letters and/or or emails received in this connection.

By signing up to a contract you will be exposed to paying a high fee over the next 3 years in addition to a whole of range of problems in case you refuse to pay.

We strongly urge you to be aware of this in order to avoid any future problems.

Students from Trondheim and the rest of Norway are invited to visit Aqua Nor free of charge on Friday 21st of August 2015 to explore the opportunities offered by exhibitors and the aquaculture industry.

The demand for seafood will continue to grow rapidly in the years ahead, and if Norway is to reach the Government’s objective of becoming the world’s foremost seafood nation, the industry will have to recruit a lot more smart, young brains.

Many opportunities for the students
When over 400 exhibitors from over 50 nations and 20 000 visitors get together at this year’s Aqua Nor, the organizer (the Nor-Fishing Foundation) wants to attract students from all disciplines to visit the exhibition in order to learn more about the industry and the opportunities it offers young people. It is in this industry that the most exciting potential for innovation and value creation exists, and consequently there are many attractive job opportunities.

Demand for bright, young people in the industry
«A research report released some years ago concluded that we may increase value creation six-fold over the next 35 years,» says Director of Information Øyvind Haram of Seafood Norway (previously the Norwegian Seafood Association). “We shall have to find ways to achieve this in a sustainable way. We’ll be needing a plethora of new technological solutions for slaughtering and production, bright minds to find what other opportunities can be found in the ocean and to exploit our natural resources.” Seafood Norway is one of the sponsors of the Student Day, together with the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU), the “Get your sea legs” project, Youngfish, and the Nor-Fishing Foundation.

The entire ocean space can be used
Norway has developed a wide range of know-how in the offshore petroleum industry and is considered a leading nation when it comes to seabed technology. Now Mr. Haram wants that the aquaculture industry should develop excellence higher up in the water column also. “We need many young people in order to reach the objectives that we have set. Anything from civil engineering, ITC experts and young people who are interested in politics, trade, marketing and economics. I hope they will use this opportunity to get to know the aquaculture industry on Aqua Nor’s Student Day.”

Welcoming all students – free admission on Friday 21st August
Aqua Nor invites all students to visit the exhibition free of charge on Friday 21st August. In addition, 10 students from all over the country will be selected to receive free travel and accommodation in Trondheim during the exhibition.

Students who visit Aqua Nor will have a full menu of options:
– Exciting seminars with top-notch speakers
– Mingling and networking, including happy hour
– A raffle with a festival pass to Pstereo
– Sampling delicious seafood products
– Meetings with various exhibitors

Welcome on Friday 21st August 2015!

Best regards from
Aqua Nor

During Aqua Nor 2015, Western Norway will be represented by 14 companies and organizations from all four western counties.

The participants will be found at a large, 144m² stand where the focus will be on giving a wide presentation of both each individual company and the aquaculture industry as a whole in the region. The Fisheries Forum West Foundation acts as project manager for the event and organizes this joint marketing effort, where the companies are presented under the common banner “West Norway Stand”.

The companies

• Lift Up AS
• Uni Research
• Aller Aqua
• Steen Hansen
• Bia Miljø
• Ernst & Young
• North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF)
• PatoGen Analyse AS
• Plany
• Astorplast AS
• Eurofins food & Feed testing Norway AS
• Aquafarm
• Produs Aqua/Alltech

The Western Norway Stand
The West Norway Stand has a long history with Aqua Nor, and several of the companies have partivcipated at earlier exhibitions. Already in 2003, Western Norway was represented by companies from Hordaland and Sogn & Fjordane counties, and in 2005 Rogaland and Møre & Romsdal counties joined in. The great variety of companies emphasizes the broad scope of the aquaculture industry in the western counties. Interest in the Western Norway Stand has been very good and growing, and at the moment work on preparing the events and the stand itself is progressing well. Among the features worth mentioning are the Seafood Bar and various social events at the stand itself.

Programme
The Seafood Bar will be staffed by trainees from companies participating in the culinary network A taste of the coast.Three trainees will run the Seafood Bar, where they will serve samples of delicious seafood from the region. A professional programme is also being planned, and in this the Western Norway Stand cooperates with Business Region Bergen.

Cooperation across county borders
CEO Tanja Hoel and Project Manager Kjersti Meredith-Soldal have, together with representatives of the four counties developed the activities for the Western Norway Stand. Western Norway is the largest region in Norwegian aquaculture, and a very important contributor to the Norwegian economy. At the stand, information on this work and the development of the regional industry will be available.