Prime Minister Erna Solberg emphasises the importance of increasing international awareness of the management of marine resources.
The official opening of this year’s North Atlantic Seafood Conference kicked off on Wednesday morning. For the opening, the organisers had brought in Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
“I am particularly pleased that the conference is held in my hometown, Bergen,” Solberg said to a packed audience at the Royal Hall at the Radisson Blu.
More than 800 guests are registered for this year’s VIP conference in the salmon capital Bergen.
Vital role
Solberg immediately highlighted the importance of seafood and the sea.
“The ocean will play a vital role, not only for this country, but for the development of the world. The world’s population will need more food, medicines and minerals in the future. Therefore, Norway is strongly linked to the development of resource management in the ocean,” she continued.
“The ocean has always been and will always be a strong part of our economy. We want the best possible framework conditions for our marine industries. But we know that national framework conditions are not enough. We also need an international framework to safeguard these interests,” she said.
Consciousness
“We need to raise international awareness of the importance of managing marine resources,” she said, noting that this is not a simple matter, as there are many conflicting interests and agendas. Among the most pressing challenges are microplastic and waste management,” she added.
Norway, she said, cannot afford not to take an active role in this work.
“Today, more than two-thirds of Norway’s export revenues are collected from the sea; petroleum, seafood, shipping and power,” Solberg said.
Profitability and environment
On this occasion she highlighted, among other things, the development licenses introduced by her government.
“We do not specifically regulate the technology, but we are focused that it is environmentally sustainable. I am sure that this will contribute to both increasing the profitability of the industry, but also safeguarding the environment in an even better way in the future,” said the Prime Minister.
