“This year the Nor-Fishing Foundation is organising the 22nd international fishery trade show since 1960, and we are pleased to see that many of the previous years’ exhibitors are returning to this year’s exhibition. In fact, most of the exhibition area was fully booked in the early spring of this year,” says managing director of Nor-Fishing, Odd Berg.
“This year, there will be about 400 exhibitors from 21 nations, more than any time before. Nor-Fishing represents both a place to see innovations and a place to meet new and old friends, to learn and to make contacts.” At Nor-Fishing 2006, some 20,000 industry representatives, including fishermen, fishing company executives and senior government officials, visited to the exhibition.
“The equipment and technology industry play an important role in today’s fishery industry. Improvement and innovation is a key element, which is why we have instituted the annual Innovation Prize, which will be awarded again this year,” comments Berg.
“Research, both fisheries research and technology research, has always had a prominent place at Nor-Fishing because of its contribution to improvement and innovation in the industry. That is why it is again a pleasure for me to see that several research institutions have informed us that they will be at this year’s show.”
Nor-Fishing 2008 will be officially opened by HRH Crown Prince Haakon on 12 August. This will be the third time the Crown Prince has opened the exhibition.
Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen, will also be present at the official opening together with representatives from foreign fisheries authorities, whom she has invited to attend both Nor-Fishing and The Second Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop.
The Mayor of the City of Trondheim, Rita Ottervik, will welcome exhibitors and visitors to Trondheim at the opening.
Exhibitors at Nor-Fishing represent:
• Shipyards
• Suppliers of fishing equipment
• Engines and deck machinery
• Maritime electronics
• Fish finding equipment
• Navigation and communication equipment
• Fish processing machines and equipment
• Cold storage equipment
• Packaging and transportation
• Safety equipment
• Fish environment protection
• Fishing harbours and services
• Research and development
Conferences
Just prior to the exhibition, two conferences will be held. The Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop will be held 7-11 August, hosted by the Norwegian fisheries authorities. The first meeting of the group was held in Malaysia in 2005.
The focus of this meeting will be on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries, which is a serious problem in many parts of the world. The workshop is organised by the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network and will be officially opened by Helga Pedersen. More information about the workshop is available at www.gfetw.org.
The Nor-Fishing Technology Conference will be held for the second time this year on 11-12 August. The conference is organised by the National Technical University (NTNU), the SINTEF Foundation, the Institute of Marine Research and the Nor-Fishing Foundation. The conference will focus on technological challenges that require new knowledge, research and innovation. “As global catches and landings have stagnated, it has become evident that we have to focus on a better utilisation of the biomass taken from the ocean,” says Peter Gullestad, chairperson of the Nor-Fishing Foundation and Director of Fisheries.
“We have to focus on quality, and on utilising a larger part of the biomass for human consumption. At the same time, we must find ways to utilise the waste for various purposes. This is important not only to increase the global production of food, but also to improve the profitability of the industry.” More information about the conference is available at www.nftc.no.
Innovation Prize
The winner of the Nor-Fishing Foundation Innovation Prize 2008 – Innovation for the Fishing Industry receives NOK 100,000 and a print by the renowned Norwegian artist, Karl Erik Harr, who is closely connected to the northern coast of Norway.
The Prize is intended to encourage increased focus on innovation, rationalisation, quality assurance/improvement and enhanced profitability in the fishing industries.
The Prize can be awarded to all suppliers of equipment, economically active businesses/persons in the fishing industry, research institutions and the processing industry. Applications for 2008 must describe innovation activities during the last two years, i.e. since the last Nor-Fishing show.
MatchMaking Event
The MatchMaking Event, taking place during the Nor-Fishing from 13-14 August, is designed to promote or request a technology/expertise. Participants will have the opportunity to select potential partners for future collaboration from the online catalogue.
The MatchMaking event will give participants the opportunity to:
• Meet with suppliers and users of technology and know-how from all over Europe to discuss solutions and new opportunities
• Promote technology and meet with potential cooperation partners
• Find the solution to technological challenges
• Find subcontractors or distributors
More information can be found at www.nor-fishing.no
