Norwegian director general of fisheries Peter Gullestad and director Odd Berg have been appointed Comendador and Caballero, respectively, of the Chilean "Order of Bernardo O''Higgins".
This is the highest distinction the Chilean government can confer upon foreigners and is for their contribution to the excellent cooperation between Chile and Norway in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture. Mr Gullestad is president of Nor-Fishing Foundation and Mr Berg is director of both the Foundation and Trondheim Spektrum, the technical organiser of the international fishery and aquaculture trade shows which have played a key role in cooperation, particularly with Aqua Nor in Trondheim, Norway.
The Order was presented by ambassador José Luis Balmaceda at a reception in the Chilean Embassy in Oslo on Friday 9 January.
Mr Gullestad and Mr Berg, a statement said, are very proud of the honour, and cooperation has opened the Chilean market to Norwegian suppliers of equipment and vice versa. Norway has also invested substantially in Chilean aquaculture.
"Some years back, the Chilean and Norwegian aquaculture industries had a somewhat strained relationship. Aqua Nor, however, has now become a joint professional arena for networking that both parties appreciate very much," said a joint statement from Berg and Gullestad.
