 |
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
| February 4th, 2003 |
|
|
This was the first time in history that a Norwegian Minister of Fisheries
visited Washington D.C. The meeting was held Tuesday February 4, 2003, from
7:45 to 8:45 am, at Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, 14th & K Street NW,
Washington, D.C. Norway is one of the leading fishery nations in the world
and the second largest exporter of fish and fish products. However,
Norwegian export to the U.S. and the Mid-Atlantic Region is sporadic even
though our Region consists of many coastal states with fish eating people
and a population of more than 31 million.
The Minister's interesting speech focused on the "Norwegian Fishery Policy and Industry/Export Challenges".
|
|
|
| Pictures from the meeting |
|
|
|
| Agenda |
|
|
Tuesday, February 4th, 2002, at 07:45 am at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, 14th & K Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Guest Speaker: The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Svein Ludvigsen
- Welcome by Atle B. Nordvik, President NACC MA
- Introduction by Thor Lassen, Chairman NACC MA Seafood & Aquaculture Committee/ President, Nordic Ventures
-
"Norwegian Fishery Policy and Industry/Export Challenges"
The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries Mr. Svein Ludvigsen
-
"The World Bank Fishery Program and Potential for Norway"
Mr. Rune Castberg, Vice-chairman, NACC MA S&A Committee
-
"U.S. Norwegian Partnership Opportunities in Fisheries"
Mr. Thor Lassen, Chairman NACC MA S&A Committee
|
|
|
| Norwegian Fishery Policy and Industry / Export Challenges |
|
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is indeed a pleasure for me to be back in America and to be invited to this meeting with the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of my present visit to the USA and Canada is to discuss key issues in fisheries and aquaculture, trade matters and items related to safe vessel traffic and prevention of pollution of the marine environment.
As of January 1st this year my Ministry has taken on the responsibility of oil pollution prevention in Norwegian waters, a serious and important responsibility as we are preparing for increased traffic of oil tankers along our rough and vulnerable coast. I have already - on February 1st - discussed US experiences with experts in Seattle, knowing that Americans have made painful experiences with oil spills from accidents such as the "Exxon Valdez" in 1989. Also in Europe we have seen similar accidents. The last major one happened off the Spanish coast few months ago, involving the 25 years old oil tanker "Prestige" with a cargo of about 77,000 tons crude oil. But, such matters are not on my agenda for this meeting, although prevention of pollution and a clean environment are important elements in our efforts to secure and supply safe seafood products to consumers worldwide. [To read the rest of this speech, please click here]
|
|
|
| The World Bank Fisheries Program - Potential for Norway |
|
INTRODUCTION
I have been told that this is the first time ever that a Fisheries Minister of Norway is on official business in DC. So allow me to congratulate minister Ludvigsen for making history!
In global marine fisheries we are also at a historic crossroads. Over-fishing threatens thousands of fish stocks worldwide and potentially leaves almost 100 million marine fishermen and their families in developing countries with an ever-declining source of income.
This critical situation represents a challenge for the World Bank, the most potent of the international development organizations, a challenge that this institution until now has been unwilling to take on. However, in the wake of the Johannesburg Summit there seems to be a movement within the World Bank to address these problems more seriously, building inter alia on the existing Fisheries Program. [To read the rest of this speech, please click here]
|
|
|
|
|
