Nofima has taken a closer look at the correlation between the choice of gear, vessel size, catch size and the quality of raw materials from the coastal fleet and has made findings that indicate the quality is deteriorating.
Most of the coastal fleet’s cod quota is caught in the first half of the year, providing fishermen a relatively good annual salary. As a result, there is generally a low level of interest in the fleet’s quotas for species such as haddock and saithe, and large quotas for these species are transferred annually to the deep-sea fishing fleet.
Norwegian fishermen do not want to fish or produce untraditional marine species despite the fact that an overwhelming number of reports indicate that the species have great potential.
"The herring has much to learn from potatoes and coffee when it comes to marketing and developing new products," says Audun Iversen, Research Scientist at the food research institute Nofima.
Increasingly more foreign tourists, including many fishing enthusiasts, are choosing adventure holidays. The many fishing tourists provide new opportunities for the coastal population, but there are also concerns about the effects on coastal fish stocks.
Companies selling seafood to Europe have to deal with a “sea” of different ecolabels and requirements. “Brand awareness cannot be blamed on the consumers, but on pressure from many different organisations,” says Director of Research Frode Nilssen at Nofima.
“Motivation for implementing traceability is strongly linked to the costs and benefits of using traceability. If the companies do not see the benefits, they will not make the necessary investments and changes to implement it,” says Scientist Kine Mari Karlsen at Nofima, who last week presented her doctoral thesis on traceability.
No Norwegian salmon producer is large enough to influence the market prices, a fresh doctoral thesis shows. “This is an important result that can contribute to further growth in the Norwegian salmon industry,” says doctoral candidate and Nofima scientist Thomas A. Larsen.
What influences your choices when you are buying food? Fresh research points to the fact that healthy attitudes don’t necessary change bad habits.
Turnover from fishing tourism in Norway is now approaching NOK 1 billion per annum. Many coastal communities which experience decline in traditional industries are now looking to tourism to maintain economic activity and population.
What socioeconomic impact will rising temperatures in the Arctic and the additional melting of sea ice have? A research project will study what effect future climate changes will have on people and animals in the Arctic.
Consumer tests are important for the food industry when it develops new products. For a product to be successful in the market it has to be liked by the consumers in the target group. The members of TasteNet Tromsø evaluate products in their own homes in a realistic and normal meal situation – a concept known as home use tests.
A new line of research known as ‘Seafood’ recently launched by Professor Joop Luten at Wageningen University, aims to make the flavour of the exotic but increasingly common Japanese oyster more appealing to the average consumer. He is also exploring possible ways of sustainably regulating the level of essential nutrients (such as selenium) in farmed fish.
The EcoFishMan research project aims to develop a new and alternative responsible fisheries management system for Europe.
Sushi is now one of the trends on the global restaurant and consumer market undergoing the strongest growth. Norwegian salmon is playing a leading role in this success and Nofima is one of the driving forces in the development.
The cod sector has been struggling with poor profitability in recent years. Through a major new research programme, Nofima will examine the framework conditions and how these affect profitability. The aim is to find measures that will make the sector more profitable.
Sardines are popular in Brazil. However, the consumption is larger than the national catch and there are periods when fishing comes to a halt. Is Norwegian herring a possible alternative?
A rising population and economic growth pave the way for larger exports of Norwegian herring to Egypt. A fresh research report also points to the fact that specific measures can stimulate further export increases.
Nofima has mapped the industry’s experiences with capture-based aquaculture of cod.
Nofima is a partner in a new Centre for Research-based Innovation to promote value creation through more responsible and selective fishing.
