Ålesund – Norwegian Frozen at Sea conference 2022

Our Executive Director Julie was kindly invited to attend and speak at the Norwegian Frozen at Sea conference in Ålesund in June. The conference was initially to be held in January, but with covid restrictions still in place, the conference was moved to the 8th of June 2022. The organisers of Fiskerbat, Nordea, and the Norwegian Seafood Council invited FASFA to speak about ‘Frozen at sea, and its position in the UK’. It was the first time FASFA had been asked to speak at this event.

Ålesund is on the west coast of Norway at 62 degrees North. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Norway.  Cod fishing in the Borgundfjord was one of the reasons why there was a permanent settlement in the Ålesund area in the 18th century.

On the first day, we met with Katrine Florvaag from the Ramoen. The Ramoen, along with all our Norwegian vessels were out to sea fishing. But this visit allowed valuable time to be spent with our members. As the weather was so good, with almost 24 hours of sunlight we visited Ålesund Aquarium for our first meeting. The resident chef cooked a delicious lunch, using cod fillets caught by the Ramoen.

Since 1998, the Aquarium  Atlanterhavsparken has been one of northern Europe’s largest and most unique seawater aquariums. They showcase life along the Norwegian coast and the Atlantic. Facing the ocean, the rich fishing grounds and the deep Norwegian fjords, the visitors can observe, experience, and learn about life at sea. The aquarium is an architectural gem, located in spectacular surroundings at Tueneset, 3 km from the centre of Ålesund.

In the evening the Norwegian Seafood Council invited Julie and Andrew Crook from the National Federation of Fish Friers to dinner. We had a delicious evening meal at the historic fish restaurant Sjøbua on the waterfront.

The day of the conference at the Scandic Parken hotel, started with a meeting of the Norwegian Fishing Vessel Owners Group.  Julie and Andrew Crook were invited to give the group a briefing about current activities on fish and chips and Frozen at Sea Fillets. The meeting included our current FASFA members from the Ramoen, Leinebris, and Nor-Seafoods. The FASFA presentation at the main conference gave an overview of our association, the UK consumption of seafood, UK Market supply, and examples of collaboration and projects we have engaged with.

In the evening a reception was held at the Alnes lighthouse. Alnes Lighthouse lies in the fishing community Alnes on the island Godøy. The lighthouse from 1876 is protected, and a relic of Norwegian coastal culture. Which gave us striking views of the ocean and coastline.

The final day saw a couple of further meetings, with a trip to Nor-Seafoods office, lunch, and then back to the Ramoen office.

Much of the discussions were about global inflation, fish prices, and supply along with plans for future collaboration. The event and the days around it allowed for some valuable networking and further meetings to build relationships. We were delighted to announce the date for the newly launched National Fish and Chip Awards 2023, to be held in London at The Park Plaza Hotel on the 28th of February 2023.

Many of the photos from the trip can be found on our social media pages, including Facebook. Thank you to everyone who made us so welcome, we look forward to visiting Ålesund again.