Opportunities for communities and threats to lifestyles in the Arctic are being discussed at Hingborður Norðurinn this year as in previous years. In connection with the conference, there are many interesting events, including one that deals with entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development.
In connection with the Arctic Circle, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Arctic Economy Council are hosting a Break-Out Session on economic development, innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arctic. The side event will take place in Kaldalón in Harpa on Friday 13 October between 16:15 and 17:45.
The role of Nordic co-operation in changes within the Arctic economies, the analysis of Arctic trade and the attitudes of indigenous peoples to Arctic business development will be discussed. Róbert Guðfinnsson from Genís will talk about what is needed to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arctic, Stephen Hart, from the European Investment Bank, will present the financing of business development and investments in the Nordic region in terms of opportunities, needs and demands, Thomas Westergaard from Hurtigruten, will talk about the role of Nordic cuisine as a competitive advantage in tourism in the Arctic, and Sveinn Margeirsson from Matís will discuss the role of the bioeconomy in promoting sustainable growth in the Arctic.
Finally, Tero Vauraste, Chairman of the Arctic Chamber of Commerce, will discuss how to move forward with the Arctic Business Development Plan.
Related to this, Matís is a participant in the ClimeFish project, which aims to support sustainable fisheries, enable an increase in production within European aquaculture, facilitate economic and regional development within the industries, and develop forecasting models and decision-making tools to respond to climate change in collaboration with stakeholders.
Interested parties are encouraged to attend and participate in exciting discussions.
At the end of next year, the Nordic project "Conservation and processing of marine macro algae for feed ingredients (Capmafi)", funded by Nordic Marine Innovation, will be completed. Participants in addition to Matís are Eukaryo AS, Due Miljø and Akvatik AS from Norway as well as Tari-Faroe Seaweed from the Faroe Islands.
The main objective of the project is to develop a production process for separating certain components from large algae with membrane filtration equipment, preserving them and using them as added raw material in aquaculture feed.
The main emphasis was on the separation of proteins, peptides and amino acids, with the help of enzymes. The production process was roughly based on the reduction of the algae in a concentrate with a wet mill. The concentrate was treated with enzymes in order to break down the proteins into peptides and amino acids. The concentrate was then treated with acid (digestion) to increase shelf life and aid in the breakdown of proteins. Membrane filtration then separated proteins, peptides and amino acids from the concentrate.
An experiment was carried out in Bodø, Norway, on a large scale, using membrane filtration to separate compounds. It went well and the recovery of protein and smaller molecules was promising for the project.
Before completing the project, the separation of polysaccharides will be examined.
Iceland, as a large ocean state, rather than a small island state, has great potential in leading value creation within the blue bioeconomy. "It is not enough that we use the resource very well, we create quality raw materials and let very little be wasted compared to other nations. Iceland's advantage in this field extends not only to traditional seafood but also to the utilization of marine resources for the production of food supplements, medical products and cosmetics, to name a few examples. Iceland's knowledge covers the entire value chain of seafood and our strength in this field is something we could make much better use of, as well as opportunities related to other organisms, such as algae, "says Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, in a recent interview with Morgunblaðið.
In the interview, Sveinn discusses the uniqueness of Iceland and points out how little other nations are able to utilize the blue bioeconomy: “The bioeconomy refers to the part of the economy that is based on living and renewable resources, and the blue bioeconomy covers all the living marine resources we use. The blue economy is underutilized in many parts of the world, from which less than 5% of all food comes, while more than 95% of food is produced on land - despite the fact that lakes and oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface. "
Sveinn says that Iceland's peculiarities are reflected in the fact that the proportions have been reversed and about 80-90% of all the food that the country produces comes from the sea.
Sveinn encourages both the government and the business community to look very carefully at “using, for example, the knowledge that exists in the Icelandic fisheries sector to greatly improve processing, fishing and marketing in many parts of the world. On all continents you can find countries that have all the means to utilize the resources of the sea much better and are located where Iceland was 30 or 40 years ago. "Participating in bringing the fisheries of these nations into the modern world would not only be a good business opportunity but could also increase the reputation of the country and the nation."
In Sveinn's opinion, Icelanders should “coordinate their policies in fisheries, foreign affairs and trade, and launch a campaign. Now is exactly the time, as it is predicted that the blue bioeconomy will grow enormously and that around the world a lot of money will be spent on this part of the economy. Iceland needs to be at the forefront of this development, otherwise there is a risk that we will lag behind. "
Education and knowledge sharing is an endless subject. It is necessary to practice continuous education and knowledge sharing about good catch management. Hafsteinn Björnsson, who operates the coastal fishing boat Villa-Björn SH 148 from Rif, received recognition for Beautiful Fish 2017.
For the past two summers, Matís and National Association of Small Boat Owners held the project "Beautiful fish" where attention is drawn to the importance of good handling of catch. The project is discussed on the Facebook page of the project.
Among the actions has been a photo competition for the most beautiful fish, where participation consisted of submitting photos of good handling of the catch, this time it was decided to give Hafstein Björnsson from Rif recognition. Hafsteinn operates the coastal fishing boat Villa-Björn SH 148.
Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, division manager at Matís, got out of town and visited Hafstein by the harbor at Rif to hand him a nice GoPro camera, so now we are expecting even more pictures that show exemplary work methods. Can be seen pictures Hafsteins á the Facebook page „Beautiful fish“.
Regarding the discussion of catch management, like so many other things, it is necessary to practice constant education and knowledge sharing about how best to do it. If people have good ideas about how best to deliver this important message, we will take it well.
This year, the project began with Matís and LS sending thermometers as well as educational material on the handling of catch to 1,000 parties related to the operation of smaller boats. All that could be heard was that people had taken a good look at the initiative and quite a few were happy to finally get a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the catch.
Matís and LS will of course continue to draw attention to the importance of good catch handling and even though the photography competition is over, photos and tips are always welcome.
An interview with Jónas Viðarsson at Matís was recently published on the news website Fiskifréttir about a change in the European Union's policy in connection with discards of fish. Matís is a key participant, together with the Association of Fisheries Companies (SFS), Hampidjan and Marel in the DiscardLess project, which is intended to facilitate the implementation of the discard ban that is being implemented within the European fishing fleet.
In the interview, Jónas talks about this policy change in EU fisheries management and the changes that have taken place in the general attitude towards discards. The European Union's common fisheries policy has clearly required fish to be thrown into the sea. "It has not only been permitted but also an obligation if the fishing vessel does not have a quota for it or if the fish is below the permitted minimum size," says Jónas. "It's just been their custom, and it's all according to the rules. But now that is changing. "
Jónas also mentions the special position of Iceland, which has a definite advantage over almost all other nations with a ban on expulsions. "Here, for example, we have the opportunity to land in this VS catch, for example. The catch then goes directly to the fish market and 80 percent of the catch value goes to research, to this VS fund. The crew only gets 20 percent and this is not counted against quotas, but this has not been very new lately. And the same is true with a lower limit, only estimated at 50 percent in relation to quotas, so various measures are now being taken to counteract this, "says Jónas.
European leaders and other stakeholders look to Iceland and other countries that have experience of working under a ban on expulsions, and therefore Iceland's contribution is important in the project, in addition to which Matís leads one work package and has a key role in several other work packages.
The MRI's risk assessment due to possible genetic mixing from salmon farming in sea cages in the Westfjords and Eastfjords was discussed at a large meeting hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Innovation last week. At the meeting, it was reported, among other things, that research has been conducted at Matís on the stock genetics of salmonids.
In attendance meetings on the MRI's Risk Assessment due to possible genetic mixing from salmon farming held by the Ministry of Industry and Innovation on 27 September, Sigurður Guðjónsson, Director General of the Marine Research Institute, presented the results of a new peer-reviewed article on salmon genetics in Europe: A microsatellite of European stock for genetic stock.Salmo salar L.). Sigurður is a co-author with Kristin Ólafsson who worked for Matís and was studying for a doctorate in salmon stock genetics. The authors of the article dedicated the article to Kristin's memory, but he passed away on March 22. Kristin's contribution was important for the technical development of the study and the analysis of Icelandic salmon stocks.
Results of the article, which is accessible here, show that it is possible to trace the origin of salmon that is caught in the sea by genotyping and see what it is from. The genealogy of European salmonids is outlined in the new article. Icelandic stock genetic research has revealed genetic variations between Icelandic salmon stocks and shown that each has its own special stock, but Kristinn published these results in a peer-reviewed article in 2014, the image below is from that article.
Olafsson, K., Pampoulie, C., Hjorleifsdottir, S., Gudjonsson, S., and Hreggvidsson, GO 2014. Present-day genetic structure of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in Icelandic Rivers and ice-cap retreat models. PLoS ONE, 9: e86809.
At the meeting, chaired by Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Geir Lasse Taranger, from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet) on risk assessment in Norwegian aquaculture and a new so-called "traffic light system". Bára Gunnlaugsdóttir from Stofnfisk talked about the use of larger juveniles and late puberty. It was stated in Bára's case that the research results show that releasing hens are less likely to affect wild strains than releasing females.
Matís is currently working on a research project with the Marine Research Institute on the genetic effects of salmon farming on wild salmon stocks with a grant from the Environmental Fund for Aquaculture, which has been managed by Guðbjörg Ólafsdóttir, an expert at Matís. The project falls under Matís' professional emphasis on a safe and sustainable food value chain.
The success of Icelanders in increased value creation in the fisheries sector is particularly great in the case of our most valuable species, cod. In 2016, the export value of Icelanders' landed cod catch was 3.15 dollars per kg 4.6 times more than in 1981. The 2016 cod catch returned 2.6 times more value than in 1981, although the catch in 2016 was only 57% of the 1981 catch.
In 2016, Icelanders caught 1 million 67 thousand tons, exported seafood amounted to 579 thousand tons. For every kg of seafood exported, we received 2.5 times more in 2016 than in 2003, but that year a strategic decision was made to increase the value of seafood through research and development. It was also decided to focus on the value of products rather than the quantity of raw materials.
The results are even greater if we look at our most valuable species, cod. In 2016, the export value of Icelanders' landed cod catch was 3.15 dollars per kg 4.6 times more than in 1981. The 2016 cod catch returned 2.6 times more value than in 1981, although the 2016 cod catch was only 57% of the 1981 cod catch.
The above figures were stated in the case of Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, director of research and innovation at Matís, when she tried to answer: What does a strong bioeconomy require, in a talk she gave recently Ministerial meeting which dealt with best use of ocean-related opportunities which was held in connection with the World Congress on Maritime Affairs WSC2017. For years, the bioeconomy has been discussed as an economy based on the utilization of living resources, a bioeconomy based on knowledge was extensive in research and development work 2007-2013 (e. Knowledge Based Bioeconomy). The key is not to go too close to the resources, not to take more than to ensure the growth and development of the resources. An economy is not based solely on catching or slaughtering fish in moderation, sustainability is certainly the foundation, but value creation is determined by treatment, processing technology and disposal.
Extensive collaboration
Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Director of Implementation and Influence at Matís, says about the emphasis on the utilization of research and development for value creation: Following that policy, we have sailed and we have reached where we wanted to go, we make more of what we fish and every kilo is more valuable.
Healthy safe seafood promotes public health. Common infrastructure and knowledge for the development of industries have been built up and used in collaboration with the above results. Understanding the laws of the market helps - instead of trying to sell what is being produced, we are working to produce what is being sold. Knowledge has been created through collaboration between universities, various companies and Matís. Matís teaches postgraduate studies in food science at the University of Iceland, as well as processing technology at the University of Akureyri. Research infrastructures have been used to develop methods for processing catches into the most valuable products. New products have appeared. Fisheries companies have new measurement services, just like companies in the food industry in general, to meet the requirements. Companies in the fisheries sector have used the collaboration with Matís to create new and greater value, the same story can be told about industrial companies that serve the food industry in this country. Such co-operation has contributed to the above-mentioned results. "
Various knowledge and skills of Matís employees have contributed to the development that the Icelandic fisheries sector has undergone, the introduction of knowledge has strengthened the Icelandic fisheries sector, just like the Icelandic food industry, including the utilization of biotechnology.
"Responsible fishing, on a scientific basis, and an emphasis on quality, ensure operating conditions in primary production and open up new opportunities in related industries. With improved catch handling, the quality is better preserved which makes diverse utilization possible. Disciplined work practices in one place solve problems in another, opening paths into new markets with new products. Improved utilization of raw materials reduces incentives for overfishing. Responsibility supports sustainability that increases efficiency and creates scope for research and development. Iceland is one of the largest fishing nations in the world and one of the few countries where the fisheries sector invests in the common funds of the people. This is where innovations emerge that attract attention in many parts of the world that others try to emulate.
At the successful WSC2017 conference, it was obvious that more and more people are turning their eyes to the sea, because there are opportunities for increased utilization of marine and water life resources, for example for food production. The universe's attention is increasingly drawn to the fact that over 95% of the world's food production is practiced on land that is less than 1/3 of the earth's surface, cultivated land is under great stress due to use and rapid changes in environmental factors "adds Arnljótur Bjarki.
Then Arnljótur mentions Bjarki, World Goals 14, life below the water surface "was naturally bulky at the conference and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs held a special seminar on the subject. Participants in WSC2017 thought it would be a good idea to come to Iceland to discuss seafood issues, as Iceland has, after the implementation of the economic jurisdiction, broken free from the vicious circle of careless handling of marine resources, waste, when emphasizing quantity over quality, with precarious operating conditions in primary production and related disciplines ".
Development in line with needs
There was a great deal of agreement at the WSC2017 conference. In the case of Sigurður Ólason, Managing Director of the Marel Fisheries Center, the importance of emphasizing the development and distribution of seafood became clear, well-managed fisheries are truly profitable, but there are great opportunities in the processing and distribution of seafood, where development is needed. "After a long time with the development of processing and distribution of seafood, which has something in the country to be considered comparable to profitable meat processing, one does not talk about the big brands in the food market," says Arnljótur Bjarki and adds in the end: "We Icelanders have done well, but we can do better. "
Ragnheiður Sveinþórsdóttir, Ásbjörn Jónsson, Muhammad Rizal Fahlivi
Supported by:
Ministry of Industry and Innovation
Measurements and utilization of slag
In the project, cod caught off the south coast of Iceland was gutted ashore. The fish was measured and weighed before and after gutting so that its slaughter ratio could be calculated over the year. Each organ was also weighed to see the quantity and proportion of each organ in the cod slug. Following these measurements, data are available from independent parties that show the slaughter rate of cod over two seasons. With the aim of increasing the value of landed catch, the utilization of sludge was looked at and experiments were made where fertilizer was made from the sludge in three different ways and the types of fertilizer were tested and compared. In addition, such treatment was compared with plants that were only watered with water and plants that were watered with synthetic plant fertilizers that are on the market today.
In this project cod was caught on the south coast of Iceland and gutted at shore. The fish was measured and weighed before and after gutting to calculate it's rate of guts for the whole year. Also every organ was weighed to see the guts combination. With the aim to increase the value of landed material experiments were made where fertilizer was created in three ways, it was tested and compared with each other and plants that were only irrigated with water and plants irrigated with plant fertilizer that are on market today.
The keeping quality of chilled sea urchin roe and whole urchins
Sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) are common off the coast of Iceland and are caught in small quantities and exported mainly as whole pots. Landings in 2015 were 280 tonnes. There are markets in Europe and Asia for sea urchin roe fresh, frozen or otherwise processed. In this study, the shelf life of fresh and pasteurized eggs stored at 0-2 ° C was assessed. The effects of freezing, both slow freezing (blow freezing at -24 ° C) and rapid freezing (nitrogen freezing) were studied as well as dextrin and alum treatment. It was also estimated how long the pots kept alive at 3-4 ° C were kept alive. The sea urchins were caught in Breiðafjörður with a plow and landed at Þórishólmur in Stykkishólmur where they were processed. Some of the sea urchins were opened, the eggs removed, cleaned and used in the experiments. Whole sea urchins were packed in plastic boxes in a similar way as when exported. The freshness characteristics of fresh sea urchin roe are the smell and taste of the sea, the smell of egg yolk and the taste and sweetness of the sea. The taste of pasteurized eggs was similar to that of fresh eggs but milder. In general, over time, the sweet, sea and egg yolk taste faded, but the metallic, kelp and chemical characteristics increased. The shelf life of fresh sea urchin eggs is limited by changes in texture - eggs dissolve and become unpalatable - and a shelf life of 0-2 ° C can be expected for one to four days. Sterilized eggs kept their freshness characteristics for at least 14 days and had a shelf life of 22 days or more at 0-2 ° C without any changes in texture. The freezing of fresh sea urchin eggs resulted in them becoming mushy during translation and there did not appear to be a difference between slow-freezing or rapid-freezing. After three months of storage at -24 ° C, thawed eggs developed a strong odor which rendered them unfit for consumption. Freezing pasteurized eggs had little or no effect on their texture or taste; however, after six months of cold storage, evidence of maladaptation was found. Aluminum treatment resulted in a strong odor that rendered the eggs unfit for consumption. The preservatives sorbate and benzoate resulted in a strong taste in the eggs and a metallic aftertaste, but treatment with dextrin did not appear to have much effect on sensory properties. All whole sea urchins were alive after 5 days from fishing but on day 9 one of the 18 vessels was dead but no damage was found. It can be assumed that a whole sea urchin stays alive at 3-4 ° C between five and nine days after fishing.
The green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) is commonly found in Iceland and is currently fished and exported mainly as whole urchins. The catch in 2015 was 280 tons. There are markets both in Europe and Asia for urchin roe, fresh, frozen or processed. In this study the shelf-life of fresh and pasteurized sea urchin roe, stored at 0-2 ° C was evaluated. The effect of freezing (blast freezing and freezing in liquid nitrogen), treatment with dextrin and alum was evaluated on both fresh and pasteurized roe. Further, the keeping quality of whole (live) sea urchins at 3-4 ° C was evaluated. The sea urchins were caught in the Breidafjordur area using a modified dredge, landed at Thorisholmi in Stykkishólmur, cleaned and the whole live sea urchin were packed in the same manner as that for export. Part of the sea urchins was opened up and the roe removed, cleaned and used for the experimental trial. The freshness characteristics of fresh sea urchin roe were found to be sea odor & flavor, egg yolk odor & flavor and sweet flavor. The flavor was similar but milder in pasteurized beet. In general, with time the sweet, egg yolk and sea flavors seemed to decrease but metallic, seaweed and chemical flavors increased. The shelf-life of fresh roe is limited by changes in texture - the roe liquefies - as indicated by sensory evaluation and can be expected to be between one and four days at 0-2 ° C. Pasteurised roe had a freshness period of at least 14 days and a shelf life of 22 days or more at 0-2 ° C, with no detectable changes in appearance or texture during that time. Freezing of fresh roe resulted in a porridge like texture at thawing and no difference was seen between freezing methods, blast freezing and liquid nitrogen freezing. After three months storage at -24 ° C frozen roe had developed a strong off-flavor and were considered unfit for consumption by the panelists. Freezing of pasteurized roe did not change the texture or flavor of the roe; however, after 6 months of freezer storage, the roe had a trace of an off-flavor. Treatment with alum gave all samples a strong off-flavor which made them unfit for consumption. Preservatives (a mix of sorbate and benzoate) gave a strong flavor and a metallic aftertaste but treatments with dextrin did not have a considerable effect on sensory characteristics. All whole sea urchins were alive after 5 days from catch, but on day 9 from catch, one urchin out of 18 had an open mouth but no spoilage odor was detected. It is estimated that the shelf life of live sea urchins is between five and nine days from catch at 3-4 ° C.
It is a great opportunity for the Icelandic fishing industry to have this conference in Iceland, to present what it stands for. There are many people abroad who envy Iceland because of how well we have managed to manage and utilize the marine resources, "says Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, director of communication and marketing at Matís.
The World Seafood Congress (WSC) conference will be held in Harpa 11-13. september nk. but according to Steinar, the WSC is one of the world's largest forums on value creation and food security in the fisheries sector. The conference is held every other year and is attended by employees of fishing and fish processing, investors and people from the institutional and educational environment around the world. Steinar says that it is very popular to hold the conference, which was last in the UK and before that in Canada. "It is a great recognition to have the conference in Iceland, but Iceland is the first Nordic country to hold it." on professional aspects of food safety and control related to food production in the fisheries sector, not least in developing countries.
The blue bioeconomy
The conference is from Monday until noon on Wednesday, when the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition begins in Kópavogur. The title of the conference this time is "Growth in the Blue Bioeconomy". The bioeconomy covers all organic and renewable resources and the blue bioeconomy refers to what thrives in oceans and lakes. "We want to draw attention to the fact that everything we do affects our organic resources. When we talk about the fishing industry, we are not only talking about the fish in the sea, but also the algae that the fish thrive on, the energy used to sail the fishing grounds, how well we handle the raw material we catch, and everything else that has an effect. and is related to life in the ocean. "
Food Safety
Steinar says the agenda of the conference is decided by a scientific council composed of representatives of IAFI and Matís. IAFI's emphasis on food safety and food control and the attitudes of Matís scientists, which deviates more emphasis on business and corporate projects and financing, weigh heavily.
"Although the conference itself will not start until Monday 11 September, various groups will come here immediately on Saturday to meet over the weekend." including where fishery-related food production has not reached as far as in the West. Among other things, food safety, control and related aspects that aim to promote an adequate food supply and safe food will be discussed.
Technological revolution
On the second day, the focus of the conference will shift to a technological revolution, financing and business operations, where food production in the fisheries sector will be seen as a business opportunity. Steinar mentions as an example that a lot has been done to increase food production in North and Central Africa and make it safer. When this happens, it is considered to create interesting opportunities for infrastructure development and funding for it is obtained from international financial institutions, whether it is the World Bank or the United Nations.
The last day of the conference, Wednesday, will have a slightly different format. The coverage will only take place until noon, as the Fisheries Exhibition will begin in Kópavogur. On this last day of the conference, a lot will be done when the main innovations and technological revolutions that have taken place in the last few months in food production will be presented, with special emphasis on the fishing industry. Among others, there will be a representative from Gfresh, an online marketplace for seafood worldwide, along with Lynette Kucsma, who designed one of the first 3D food printers, but she has been chosen by the television giant CNN as one of the seven technology pioneers we should watch. In addition, John Bell, from the European Commission, will discuss how technological revolutions are affecting the European fisheries sector. More interesting speakers will also be available and the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, will then close the conference.
