Conflicting commercial interests battle for world market:
Who gets to define “sustainable salmon farming”?
Unless Norwegian researchers stand up and speak out, Norway’s salmon farming industry risks having to comply with standards that favour US special interest groups. These standards could raise production costs and exclude Norwegian salmon from important markets.
Ragnar Tveterås encourages researchers to assert themselves in the discussion about sustainable salmon production. (Photo: Anne Ditlefsen)
Ragnar Tveterås, Professor of Industrial Economics at the University of Stavanger, delivered an unequivocal word of warning at the HAVBRUK programme’s 2010 aquaculture conference in Trondheim this April: certain US groups with very deep pockets are determined to shut out farmed salmon from the market.
“These groups particularly target the salmon farming industries of wealthy nations such as Norway, claiming to be protecting consumers, the environment and wild salmon from diseases and other problems,” says Professor Tveterås.
The players in this international power struggle include activist organisations (NGOs) and powerful grocery conglomerates such as Marks & Spencer and Wal-Mart. Operating behind the scenes are giant US foundations with billions of dollars in capital.
Fighting over standards
“The power play is taking place through the media and scientific journals, through efforts to influence regulatory decisions taken by the public authorities, and through the establishment of certain product standards.”
“Standards defining acceptable salmon farming practices – everything from feed and selective breeding to fish welfare and environmental considerations – are backed up by certification mechanisms and labelling schemes for approved products,” explains the economics professor. “These standards can be an effective way to achieve desired consumer behaviour.”
“But it is critical that the salmon industry takes part in determining the criteria for these standards, to ensure that they do not impose unreasonable requirements,” he points out.
Industry perspective
While the concept of sustainability does encompass several factors which the salmon industry must take into account, Professor Tveterås emphasises that the criteria can be subjectively defined, depending on one’s perspective as a producer or buyer, NGO or consumer.
Farmed products compete for retail space in grocery chains. (Photo: Fete typer)
For a producer, establishing sustainable practices may entail higher production costs in the short term, but could also minimise a number of economic risks of production: organic stress on the environment, the outbreak of infections, and the risk of being denied access to certain distribution channels and market segments.
Salmon production is stagnating in both the USA and Canada because the industry is embroiled in such deep conflicts with other user interests. Eventually, similar conflicts will escalate between Norway’s aquaculture industry and various competing interests. So the scientific authority of researchers – by way of publishing scientifically – can provide a much-needed compass for decision-takers.
Researchers must speak up
But researchers can also be used as pawns in the power game. In North America, forces ideologically opposed to salmon farming have donated billions in the past decade to research and various special interest groups.
“Through their financing, wealthy US foundations influence which issues are addressed by research and which findings are deemed empirically valid. So there are loads of scientific articles that are critical of salmon aquaculture. Some of this is poor science, but the conclusions are nevertheless accepted by scientific journals.” Professor Tveterås is concerned about how regulators and management agencies looking for knowledge to guide them will distinguish the wheat from the chaff among these articles.
“This is why it is essential that Norwegian researchers take part in the ongoing international debates. Industry and the public administration need reliable, unbiased knowledge based on solid science in order to take rational decisions.”
Ragnar Tveterås further encourages Norwegian researchers to “make themselves visible in the international research arena and step up their publication of findings in international journals.”
- Published:
- 11.05.2010
- Last updated:
- 12.05.2010
More news from the 2010 HAVBRUK Conference
Contact
- Rolf Giskeødegård +47 22 03 70 97 rg@forskningsradet.no
- ragnar.tveteras@uis.noPhone:
