The longest, coldest and most northerly yearly meeting of Blue Food
After Fiskebäckskil on the west coast and Stockholm on the east coast, it was time for Vilhelmina in the north when Blå Mat's third annual meeting took place. Among the 50 people who made their way to southern Lapland were both a state secretary and an ambassador. They and other participants gained new knowledge, visited fish farms and made new contacts during three days.
Just in time for the annual meeting, Vilhelmina had been covered by a layer of snow and the temperature remained a few degrees below zero throughout the meeting. At Hotel Wilhelmina, however, the temperature was comfortable and if anything, the cool outdoor air needed to be let in between sessions to sharpen the minds of the participants in the Malgovik conference room.
The Swedish Ambassador for the Sea opened the meeting
The first day was opened by Sweden's Ambassador for the Sea, Anna Lindstedt, who provided an international perspective. The first session of the day focused on sustainability, both from an overall perspective and with a specific focus on algae and fish feed.
The second theme of the day was how to increase the sustainable consumption of small pelagic fish, which included a report by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, new fish products that are entering the market, research on consumer behavior and how to reduce unwanted substances in fish, and a Finnish perspective from Jari Setälä at the Natural Resources Institute (Luke) in Finland.
Before the first dinner, the meeting participants tasted sea urchin buns from Blue Food partner Marine Taste. They all ran out.
New partners and hope for collaboration with wind energy companies
On the second day, a number of Blå Mat's partners had the opportunity to talk about their activities, including two new ones, Afry and the County Administrative Board of Jämtland. From the latter, participants learned that there is a Jämtland tradition of having their own small-scale pond with fish.
Before lunch, the report "Sweden and seafood" produced by the Mistra Future Foods research program, with funding from Blue Food, was presented. There were also two presentations on coexistence between activities, including an increased interest from the wind power industry in coexisting with aquaculture, not least because it can provide local benefits and increase support for the establishment of new wind turbines.
Secretary of State listened to young researchers give the government's view on Swedish seafood.
Lunch was joined by Dan Ericsson, State Secretary to the Minister for Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren. The afternoon began with him and other participants hearing about a number of the young researchers' projects. This was followed by a study visit to the blue food partner Umlax's hatchery and processing plant within easy bus distance of the town.
The meeting participants then heard from Jean-Pascal Bergé, whose French company Upcyclink helps companies to make profitable use of their raw materials. Dan Ericsson then reflected on the day's discussions and gave the government's view on Swedish seafood production, after which the meeting was rounded off with a discussion on a number of issues important to the entire Blue Food sector.
The second day's dinner was based on char and rainbow trout from Umlax, supplied by local company Bergmans fisk & vilt.
Planning for 2024 and visit to fish farm in Lake Malgomaj.
The last day of the meeting had two items on the agenda - planning for next year and a study visit. After the meeting participants divided into groups and discussed important topics for 2004, the bus went to Malgomaj Lake and Umlax char farm, a much appreciated excursion, not least among the many participants who got to see a fish farm for the first time. After the final lunch, the journey home began, a long journey for the participants who had traveled to the annual meeting from southern Sweden and western Norway. But despite the fact that a three-day meeting can take a lot of energy and despite the fact that a long train or plane ride awaited, several participants had already started discussing, planning and looking forward to the next annual meeting.