Amid growing feed industry fears for the future of the blue whiting resource, the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has sent an open letter to the Norwegian government, calls on the country Norway to meet with fish feed producers and reflect seriously upon its own sustainability commitments.
The letter was sent ahead of this week’s meeting of coastal states negotiators in Oslo, with NAPA underlining the “severity of the situation facing the Northeast Atlantic blue whiting fishery, and the real threat this poses to the fish feed supply chain, and salmon production”.
NAPA wrote: “As a nation at the cutting-edge of fish aquaculture, you know the value and importance of blue whiting to the world’s fishmeal industries and, as a result, to the secure supply of seafood across Europe and the world. More than this, you are a nation with a track record of spear-heading ambitious action for the sustainable future of our oceans and ocean industries: to stay true to these ambitions, urgent measures to protect blue whiting stocks are needed.
“As an alliance of more than 70 companies – supported by the catching sector and a majority of salmon production in Norway – we are stating clearly that the security of many of our businesses, and therefore the future of the industry at large, also relies on the sustainable management of this stock. This is a situation that cannot be ignored.”
In the letter, NAPA acknowledged that feed producers need to source fishmeal and oil from certified fisheries or fisheries that are undertaking a fishery improvement project (FIP) process.
Such a requirement is now central to compliance in the two key certification schemes for the industry – the ASC Feed Standard and Global G.A.P. Compound Feed manufacturing standard, it said.
In 2021, NAPA launched a new form of FIP that’s designed to drive progress towards a political agreement for key pelagic stocks. As such, NAPA members can continue sourcing the stock at this time, as it continues to urge coastal states to come to a sustainable, science-based sharing agreement for all pelagics. However, the blue whiting FIP is due to end in October.
“With no resolution to the political deadlock around blue whiting management in sight, the future of the fish feed industry hangs in the balance in the waters off Norway’s coast,” advised the letter.
It added that three giants in the fish-feed industry and members of NAPA’s board: BioMar, Cargill and Skretting Norway, will all cease blue whiting purchases if the FIP fails and no agreement is reached.
The letter concluded: “NAPA has one simple ask for you: meet with us. Meet with NAPA members, salmon producers, and the catching sector collectively, to work together towards a vision for a sustainable sharing agreement for this key pelagic stock.
“We understand the complexities of the situation. We know the challenge presented by the political deadlock. We believe that a nation like Norway, world-leading in salmon production and at the forefront of ocean advocacy globally, should be an ally – not a target – in our own advocacy efforts.”
