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This report is the third deliverable of Task 3.1 within the FarFish project, which focuses on analysing the governance of the EU external fishing fleet, that is industrial vessels over 24m LOA flagged in EU Member States operating most of its time outside EU waters. In the previous deliverable of this task, D3.10, the development of the monitoring and control of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) providing fisheries access in other coastal states’ EEZ was analysed. In this deliverable, FarFish analyses fisheries on the high seas, more precisely the fisheries taking place in the Southwest Atlantic high seas and highlights the lack of an adequate regional framework with a set of rules to effectively manage and control the fisheries taking place in this area. The deliverable is a manuscript for a scientific journal. It briefly describes the fisheries in the area, and given the lack of obligations for coastal and port states, it is mainly focused on the obligations of the flag states to manage the fisheries and to cooperate to that end. Finally, it presents a number of reasons that might explain why there is not binding conservation and management measures in place on the Southwest Atlantic high seas fisheries. Chapter 2 contains the paper/manuscript.

This document presents the audit of a draft version of the second Management Recommendations (MRs) in the FarFish project. This MR2 draft was updated during the last months of the project considering the second audit recommendations, hence providing a more final MR within the project’s lifetime. The audit process is a fundamental step for the implementation of the Results-Based Management (RBM) approach. In RBM, the resource users are directly involved in the management and decision-making process. The relevant authorities continue defining the policy goals but delegate (partly) the responsibility for the planning and implementation of the management means to attain those goals to the resource users. The auditor, as an independent third party, should be able to assess the extent to which these goals have been met (Nielsen et al., 2017). In FarFish, the auditor is enacted by a research institute. However, this role can be taken by any organization with auditing capacity or by a joint audit committee designated by both parties. The audit of the second MRs revealed interesting results in terms of the implementation of the key activities planned for achieving the Outcome Targets (OTs). Several challenges were also found in the implementation and performance of the MRs. Some of the most common challenges referred to coordination and collaboration with the Coastal States or the acting Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), although when this was in place, the success of the action considerably increased. As the MR of the case study (CS) 1 for the Southwest Atlantic high seas, presented the critical challenge of not having a RFMO, the MR aimed to contribute towards addressing this challenge. The CS2 for the Southeast Atlantic, on the contrary, with a well-established RFMO faced the critical challenge of limited fishing activities in the area, which was reflected in a relatively low interest from the EU operators involved in the project. The high-seas fisheries CS1 and CS2, were subject to a more qualitative and somewhat subjective audit, due to the nature of the OTs and the indicators set for them. The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) CSs on the other hand, reported more specific indicators towards improving knowledge and methods about the status of the different stocks. Focus was also placed on strengthening and increasing observer program coverage, with improved reporting methods and protocols, aiming to fully implement electronic reporting systems in the Coastal State with capacity to adequately process data from e-logbooks. Operators’ compliance was also targeted through data analysis of satellite signals from remote sensing systems (VMS and AIS). Finally, socio-economic targets were set in this second version of the MRs, with focus on data collection for catches, landings, processing, and trade, as well as market analysis and other socio-economic variables. The notable advancement from the MR1 to the MR2 showed extensive work that renders important results throughout the implementation of the RBM. For example, reports on the implementation of self-sampling programs for stock assessment, not only from the EU fleet but further, as in the case of Senegal involving artisanal fleet targeting the same species. In other cases, big data analysis wasconducted, adding evidence to the value of remote sensing as a tool for transparency and support compliance in fisheries activities (Ruiz et al., 2019). Furthermore, several protocols and documents were developed, which are ready for implementation by the coastal state authorities, such as the harmonized catch data protocol in Cape Verde, and self-sampling training materials and a specific protocol to improve on-board observations in Mauritania. However, several challenges were also found in the implementation and performance of the MRs. Challenges with data collection due to existing data sharing restrictions, timing, and delays of planned actions, with the added challenge of a world pandemic, as well as issues with participation and active collaboration in the programs, were found in several cases. More notable for the four SFPA CSs, was the clear difference in the success of the actions where adequate coordination and collaboration was in place with the Coastal States. The second audit process was conducted to the extent that the MRs were reported at the time of the audit. The second version of the MRs presented at this stage are not final, as work is still ongoing within the project. Therefore, this second audit is an intermediate revision of progress based on available results, limiting therefore the possibility to audit results from ongoing work not yet reported. Within the RBM, the audit framework allows for intermediate audits to assess performance every updated version of the MR, where frequency can be stipulated in the RBM contract. A final audit of the MRs should be planned within RBM to allow for the evaluation of all the actions taken and finalized within the framework. However, within FarFish, the final audit will not be possible due to time constraints and contractual specifications within the EU research and innovation action framework. Nevertheless, the implementation of this second audit framework should serve as a guideline to continue the evaluation of the future versions of the MRs developed within the RBM approach until their completion.

Background More than 20% of the catches of the European fishing fleet are caught in non-European waters. Access to fish in these waters is based on agreements with coastal states. EU pays for access to fish from surplus stocks. These agreements have been criticised, as the fisheries are sometimes poorly regulated, and management decisions are often based on limited knowledge. In addition, the level of compliance is considered low, and enforcement capabilities are limited. In many cases, the trust between different stakeholders involved in a fishery is low. The FarFish project aimed to overcome these challenges. Approach The FarFish project was designed around six case studies (CSs) in fishing areas where the European fleet is active, namely Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Seychelles, and the international high-seas areas in the South East and South West Atlantic. This document serves as the second proposal for management recommendations (MR2) for each FarFish CSs. The MRs are arrangements between relevant management authorities and the operators in the respective CSs. The MR defines the actors/partners in the fishery and their roles, the agreed management objectives for the fishery, the management rules and regulations that apply, and other relevant details about the fishery. We apply the results-based management (RBM) when developing the MR in each CS. The RBM approach aims to reduce micro-management by involving stakeholders and increasing the degree of co-management by delegating responsibilities to resource users. According to this approach, the formal responsibility for developing the MRs is largely delegated to the resource users e.g. EU fishing fleet. Yet, within the FarFish CSs, the formal responsibility is a common venture involving both the authorities in the EU and in the coastal state in question, and the European operators. This means that third state (e.g., China, Korea, Japan, Russia) activity is left outside these MRs. However, getting these MRs in place creates arenas for dialogue and allows for informal discussions with third country authority and operator representatives. This may in turn facilitate common agreements to enhance sustainability in the fishery in question. The FarFish project does not intend to replicate measures that are already being worked on within the contexts of the SFPA agreements, national management authorities, or RFMOs. We, therefore, address issues that can potentially support these previously initiated measures and thereby be of added benefit to authorities and operators. To ensure relevance and impact FarFish involved respective CS authorities, RFMOs, and other stakeholders, to decide on where the project can be of greatest benefit, to support the ongoing measures. This report contains the revised MR2 for the six FarFish Case studies.

This report synthesises the main findings from the value chain- and governance analysis in FarFish, and point at some potential policy changes that could improve governance of the SFPAs and the high seas fisheries of the European external fishing fleet. This is the final deliverable from work package 3 (WP3) of the FarFish project, containing lessons learned and policy recommendations based on the work conducted in T3.1 Evaluation of governance structures and T3.2 Value chain analysis. The overall objective of FarFish is to improve knowledge on and management of EU fisheries outside Europe, while contributing to sustainability and long-term profitability. To this end, WP3 has conducted value chain analysis and evaluations of the governance structure of the EU external fishing fleet in the selected case studies. The studies have provided insights to how these fisheries are managed and conducted, and how the fisheries are utilized and are contributing to the seafood supply, including to the European market and partner countries. This report synthesises the main findings from these studies. Based on the lessons learned as well as interaction with other areas within the project, we discuss recommendations for potential policy changes that could improve governance of the SFPAs and European high seas fisheries. The fisheries and value chains analysed are highly professional and are based on the different companies’ commercial considerations. The recommendations to improve the performance of these companies or to achieve wider socio-economic goals are therefore directed at the potential for changes and improvements by way of regulations. The suggestions would in most cases require further elaboration and discussions, hence the term potential.

The FarFish project published a so called “Legacy booklet” towards the end of the project, which is intended to summarise progress and key results to a wider audience e.g. to stakeholders that do not have scientific background or expert knowledge on the main project topics. The publication of this “project summary report aimed at a wider audience” was described in the original project description as follows: Task 7.8 Project summary report aimed at a wider audience: In order to make the project results widely known and understood by everyone with an interest in the subject, the project coordinator will produce a project summary report at the end of the project. The report will describe in layman-terms the project as a whole, the main challenges and the most important results. This will facilitate dissemination to a wider audience, which will be important when considering the wide range of stakeholders connected to the subject. The ”Legacy booklet” is presented in this report, The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 727891/FarFish project.

This report contains a journal manuscript analysing the development in four bilateral fisheries access agreements that the EU has made with non-member coastal states in terms of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS). The four bilateral fisheries access agreements, today termed Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) are: the agreement with Capo Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Seychelles. The study analyses the changes in the access agreements over time and how the reforms in the CFP (in 1992, 2002 and 2013) and accompanying changes in regulations addressing the external dimension of the EU fleet, are enshrined in the fisheries access agreements. In addition, some considerations are made on how implementation challenges are reflected in the development of the agreements. The focus is on the formal development of the agreements and how new MCS requirements are introduced and operationalized. The study finds a clear strengthening in the MCS provisions in the EU access agreements over time. The provisions generally follow the development in the CFP and accompanying implementing regulations, in some cases also preceding the enshrinement in EU regulations. At the same time, the analysis shows that even though there is a positive development in the MSC requirements in the agreements, the implementation of new requirements can be slow. The study concludes that on the one hand, this gradual and slow implementation might be a viable approach and a way for the EU to be able to implement its external fisheries policy, in particular when accompanied with capacity building initiatives and increased cooperation. On the other hand, if the MCS requirements are not implemented, and are not adjusted to the actual situation, they may end up as paper-regulations which over time will undermine the credibility of the access agreements.

Denne rapporten tar for seg utfordringer knyttet til temaene gjenfangst, avlivning og etterbruk av rensefisk som har hatt deler av sin livssyklus i merdene sammen med laksefisk for å spise lus. Gjenfangst av rensefisk er både tids- og arbeidskrevende, og i dette prosjektet har vi undersøkt om det er mulig å effektivisere gjenfangst av både rognkjeks og leppefisk ved å dressere fisken ved hjelp av spesifikke lyd- og/eller lyssignal. Det har blitt gjort forsøk på individ- og gruppenivå, i små og store kar, i små og full-skala merder, og alle forsøk i mindre skala viser at både rognkjeks og leppefisk er i stand til å lære, og huske, at slike signaler er relatert til en belønning, med det resultatet at en stor andel av fisken dermed trekkes mot, og samles ved, et spesifikt referansepunkt i karet/merden. Det var ikke mulig å konkludere en effekt i full-skala merder. Prosjektet har også hatt som mål å utvikle en slakteprosedyre som egner seg for industriell slakt av leppefisk og rognkjeks og som tilfredsstiller kravet om dyrevelferd og samtidig ivaretar kvalitet på produktet som mulig matvare. Resultater viser at både rognkjeks, berggylt og bergnebb kan bedøves innen 0.5 sekund i både i vann og luft. Dette gjør det mulig å anvende ulike teknologier, enten om det er tørrbedøving eller i pumpesystemer, for bedøving i kommersielle anlegg. Prosjektet har videre forsket på muligheter og utfordringer knyttet til etterbruk av rensefisk hvor vi har identifisert næringsmessige og prosesstekniske produktegenskaper som er viktig for å kunne bruke rensefisken til humant konsum. Både berggylte og rognkjeks har god proteinkvalitet og fettsyresammensetning og kan være en god kilde til B12- og D13-vitaminer, men markedsundersøkelser i Sør-Korea viser at salg av hel rensefisk til humant konsum kan være utfordrende på grunn av utseende, smak, konsistens og lusespiserhistorien til fiskene.

Source at https://framsenteret.no/fram-forum/ Aquaculture has become a major part of global food production, and according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, it is now the fastest growing animal food-producing industry. In the North, further growth in salmon farming is expected. What mechanisms are in place to regulate this growth?

I dette prosjektet har vi forsket på muligheter og utfordringer knyttet til etterbruk av rensefisk som har hatt deler av sin livssyklus i merdene sammen med laksen for å spise lus. Vi har hatt en tverrfaglig tilnærming, hvor vi har identifisert næringsmessige og prosesstekniske produktegenskaper som er viktig for å bruke fisken til humant konsum. Vi har testet rognkjeks og berggylt og næringsinnholdet i begge viser en bra proteinkvalitet, og lavt innhold av miljøgifter. I tillegg viser resultatene at berggylt har høye verdier av EPA+DHA og vitamin B12, og rognkjeksen høy verdi av vitamin D3. I prosjektet har vi også undersøkt prosesserings- og lagringsmetoder for å bevare kvaliteten best mulig. Foreløpig testing viser veldig fine resultater for lakefrysing av fisken. Videre har vi undersøkt regelverket knyttet til rensefisk brukt til humant konsum. Her er forvaltningsregimet til berggylten sentralt for å ta vare på ressursen og velferden til rognkjeksen gjennom hele livssyklusen sentralt. Vi har undersøkt lønnsomheten ved ulik bruk og ulike logistikkløsninger i tillegg til å ha undersøkt markedspotensialet til rensefisk i Sør-Korea. Gitt dagens forutsetninger med oppfôring i merd for å oppnå en anvendelig størrelse, vil kostnadene bli veldig høye og en vil være avhengig av et svært betalingsvillig marked for å få det til å bli lønnsomt. Resultatene fra markedstest av rognkjeks og berggylt blant et utvalg informanter fra sjømatnæringen i Sør-Korea, viser at salg av hel rensefisk til humant konsum også kan være utfordrende på grunn av utseende, smak, tekstur og lusespiserhistorie. Videreforedlede rensefiskprodukter kan ha større potensiale. In this project, we have researched opportunities and challenges related to the after-use of cleaner fish that have had part of their life cycle in the net cages together with the salmon to eat lice. For this, we have had an interdisciplinary approach, where we have identified nutritional and process technical product properties that are important for using the fish for human consumption. We have tested lumpfish and ballan wrasse and the nutrient content in both shows a good protein quality, and low content of environmental toxins. In addition, the results show that ballan wrasse has high values of EPA + DHA and vitamin B12, and the lumpfish high value of vitamin D3. In the project, we have also investigated processing and storage methods to preserve the quality as best as possible. Preliminary testing shows very good results for brine freezing of the fish. Furthermore, we have examined the regulations related to cleaner fish used for human consumption. Here, the management regime for ballan wrasse is central to taking care of the resource and welfare of the lumpfish throughout the life cycle. We have investigated the profitability of different uses and different logistics solutions in addition to having investigated the market potential for cleaner fish in South Korea. Given the preconditions for after-feeding in cages to achieve usable sizes, the costs will be very high and one will depend on markets with a high willingness to pay. The results from market tests of the cleanerfish among a selection of informants from the seafood industry in South Korea, show that selling whole cleaner fish for human consumption can also be challenging due to appearance, taste, texture and lice eating history. More processed cleaner fish products may have greater potential.

Aiming for sustainable development of food value chains several assessment methods are developed, however it seems challenging to go from assessment to actual change. A solution proposed is increased stakeholder involvement also in the assessment phase. The perspective on sustainability varies depending on several variables, among which the geographical context where the producers are located. The perspective of the latter is of paramount importance as these are the actors on who, ultimately, possible changes towards sustainability depend. In this article, we applied a qualitative approach to investigate the farmers’ perspective on sustainability, in the horticultural production in Arctic Norway. We found that many of the premises for sustainable food production are present. The main challenges are lack of long-term planning, dependency of rented land as well as fluctuating yield and income. Producer’s network is essential for development as well as introduction of technical improvements. The study shows the importance of contextualisation of sustainability, as well as pointing at concerns about trade-offs between sustainability dimensions and themes in the proposed model. The research contributes to method development by demonstrating how a qualitative approach is a fruitful method to unravel the complexities of sustainability in food production.

Source at https://sdwg.org/what-we-do/projects/blue-bioeconomy-in-the-arctic-region/?it=blue-bioeconomy-in-the-arctic-region/ The blue bioeconomy is important to many Arctic communities, providing food and other valuable bioresources, generating value and employment, and supporting rural regions. This report looks at the Arctic blue bioeconomy by analyzing regional challenges, opportunities, best practices and success stories from Iceland, Norway and Northern Canada. In addition, information on the status of the blue bioeconomy in Alaska, USA, the perspective of Inuit people on the blue bioeconomy and markets for marine ingredients are described. This work was endorsed by the Arctic Council´s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

Sustainability learning is gaining popularity as an important field within sustainability research, where farm sustainability can be understood as a learning process. In this study, we seek to reveal the sustainability learning process of farmers, utilizing a framework distinguishing contextual factors (where? and when?), knowledge (what?), motivation (why?), and process (how?). The article presents a participatory inquiry mixed-methods approach, utilizing results from sustainability assessments on five farms with the SMART-farm tool as a unifying starting point for further discussions on sustainability learning in farmers' interviews and stakeholder workshops. Empirically the study is set in the horticultural production in Arctic Norway, where few studies on sustainability have been undertaken. The study shows how both the complexity of the concept of farm sustainability and contextual factors influence the sustainability learning process, for instance by giving rise to a vast number of conflicting issues while working toward farm sustainability. The sustainability learning process is found to be predominantly a social learning process. The theoretic contribution of the study lies in its novel framework that can be used to reveal important aspects of the sustainability learning process, as well as to contribute to the literature on how to proceed from sustainability assessments to implementation. A key finding from the study is that farmers will require continuous assistance in their processes toward farm sustainability, but for this to be possible, knowledge, sources of knowledge, and learning platforms for holistic sustainability need to be established.

More than 20% of the European fishing fleets catches are taken from non-European waters. Access to these waters is often based on agreements with coastal states that allow the EU fleet to fish from surplus stocks in return for financial support. These agreements have been subjected to criticism, as these fisheries are sometimes poorly regulated and management decisions are often based on limited knowledge, compliance, and enforcement capabilities. It is also too often the case that trust between stakeholders is lacking. The aim of the FarFish project is to overcome these hurdles. The FarFish project is designed around six case study areas in which the European fleet is actively engaged in fishing activities, including Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal and Seychelles, as well as the international high-seas areas in the southeast and southwest Atlantic. Among the Research & Innovation outputs of the FarFish project is a development of a management approach where the management authorities and the resource users come to an agreement on some key objectives and how to meet them. This approach is designed to reduce micromanagement by involving stakeholders and increase the degree of co-management by delegating management responsibilities to resource users. The process is broken into a number of steps, which include a) the provision of guidelines on how to develop so called management recommendations (MRs), b) provision of an invitation from the authorities to the resource users to develop MRs, where overall objectives are established, c) development of MRs, d) third party audit of the MR, where the success of the MR is evaluated. Draft guidelines and MR invitations have been published, and this report compiles the first proposals for MRs for each of the FarFish case studies. These will then be audited by an independent auditor and the whole process will then be re-iterated. The aim is that by the end of the project, we will have a tested / validated approach for how to manage fisheries in cocreation between authorities and resource users.

The EU is obliged to ensure sustainable utilization of the fisheries’ resources to which EU fleets have access to, both in the high seas and through bilateral agreements, based on the principles of good economic and social governance. This is mainly done through cooperation with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and national authorities in partnership countries to improve knowledge and management of the fisheries. Inadequate governance of these fisheries can hinder the goal of sustainable utilization of fisheries’ resources, resulting in suboptimal or over-exploitation of shared and straddling fish stocks. On the other hand, limited knowledge regarding the processing and market conditions in partner coastal states has contributed to substantial criticism regarding the social and economic benefits that the international fisheries actually bring to the partners’ countries. In line with the overall objective of the FarFish project to ensure sustainability and profitability in EU fisheries outside of Europe, this report utilises the knowledge acquired across the different work packages in the FarFish project to identify challenges and opportunities for improvements in the FarFish case studies regarding governance structure, social and economic issues. This analysis is twofold: 1) identification of institutional challenges obstructing the achievement of the intended governance principles as expressed in the relevant fisheries agreements; 2) analysis of the processing and market strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the selected case studies, which are then summarized in the form of road maps, which visualize the pathways towards achieving the ambitions identified for the FarFish project.

Salmon farming is a rapidly growing industry in the North and its sustainable development depends on adequate governance. We have assessed the governance systems for salmon farming in four northern countries, Canada, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Norway. In all the countries, the industry is marked by controversies, linked to the environmental and societal impacts of its activities. The question raised is how the authorities address these challenges - what instruments are deployed to achieve a sustainable salmon industry? We have identified both commonalities and differences. The farming of salmon is to a large extent organized in similar ways, with net-pens in the ocean as the dominant production form. In general, the regulations pertaining to the industry have a lot in common. All countries require a license to produce, there are environmental monitoring regimes in place, and the producers are required to report on the same parameters, such as biomass, sea lice counts, disease management, and a range of other statistics. A major difference is the polycentric character of the governance systems in Canada and partly Norway. Still, despite differences in production volume and contextual factors, we see that fairly similar regulatory toolboxes are used to control aquaculture activities. Lakseoppdrett er en næring i vekst i nord. En bærekraftig utvikling av næringen er avhengig av en forvaltning som ivaretar både miljømessig og samfunnsmessige hensyn. Rapporten gir en analyse av fire lands forvaltning av næringen, Canada, Færøyene, Island og Norge. Tross store forskjeller i produksjonsvolum, er utfordringene i stor grad de samme. Forvaltningsverktøyene som benyttes er i hovedsak like, men med noen særegne tilpasninger. Blant annet har landene noe ulik tilnærming til områdeforvaltning og regulering av vekst. Den største forskjellen er likevel den polysentriske innretningen på forvaltningssystemet i Canadas føderale system og kommunenes planmyndighet i Norge.

Denne rapporten er et resultat av prosjektet Coreplan, som har undersøkt om metoder og tilnærminger som finnes i litteraturen om økosystemtjenester kan bidra til å styrke kystsoneforvaltningen. I rapporten diskuterer vi utviklingstrekk i norsk kystsoneplanlegging og hvordan utviklingen i bruken av kysten kan stille nye krav til kystsoneplanleggingen. Vi forklarer bakgrunnen for begrepet økosystemtjenester, og viser hvordan begrepet brukes i forvaltningen i dag. Vi gir ulike eksempler på hvordan økosystemtjenesteperspektiver kan avhjelpe mangler eller svakheter ved kystsoneplanleggingen, og vi diskuterer hvilke utfordringer eller dilemmaer en slik tilnærming kan føre med seg.

Målet med prosjektet er å vurdere potensialet for økt produksjon og verdiskaping av mat produsert i de arktiske delene av Norge. Funnene viser at endringene i klimaet potensielt kan øke både landbruks- og sjømatproduksjonen i Arktis. For å øke total produksjonen spiller imidlertid offentlige støtteordninger som Innovasjon Norge og Skattefunnordningen en viktig rolle. Disse har vært avgjørende for mange småbedrifter i oppstartsfasen. Samtidig ser man forbedringspotensial i forhold til brukervennlighet og langsiktig tenkning. For å øke produksjonen må man parallelt utvikle lønnsomme markedskanaler og gode markedsføringsstrategier for arktisk mat. Funnene viser muligheter for å oppnå økt verdi basert på arktisk opprinnelsen. Undersøkelser blant norske, svenske og britiske forbrukere viser at arktisk mat assosieres med positive egenskaper som ferskt og godt, og at mange av karakteristikaene assosiert med arktisk mat er faktorer man kjenner igjen i moderne internasjonale mattrender, som helse, naturlighet, autentisitet og tradisjon. Arktisk matproduksjon er langt fremme på bærekraft, særlig områder som arbeidsvilkår, HMS, biodiversitet og arealbruk, men noe gjenstår i forhold til økonomisk sårbarhet og fremtidsrettede mål. Internasjonalt viser funnene at bærekraft er egenskapen som er viktigst i markedsføringen av arktisk mat. Bærekraft er derfor svært viktig å ivareta, både i produksjon og kommunikasjon av arktisk mat. Status, verdi og utfordringer for matproduksjon i Arktisk Norge – Rapport 2 "Arktis som en matproduserende region" Report 2, Arctic Food. Status, Value and Challenges for food production in Arctic Norway

FarFish is a H2020 project that aims to provide knowledge, tools and methods to support responsible, sustainable and profitable EU fisheries outside European waters. To achieve this, FarFish will develop practical, achievable and cost-effective fisheries management tools and advice. The work will be done in collaboration of scientists, policy makers, resource users and other stakeholders aimed to improve fisheries management competences. A key output of the project are case specific Management Recommendations (MRs) that are based on Results-Based Management (RBM) principles in line with the Responsive Fisheries Management System (RFMS) approach, which was developed in the FP7 project EcoFishMan. The fisheries included in FarFish are in the high-seas areas of the SW-Atlantic Ocean (FAO area 41) and the SE-Atlantic Ocean (FAO area 47); as well as in the waters of Cape Verde, Senegal, Mauritania and the Seychelles. In line with the RFMS approach, the engagement of stakeholders is highly prioritized in the project. Wide variety of stakeholders have been contacted throughout the first year of the project in order to contribute to the development of the MRs. The first multi-stakeholder physical meeting was held in Vigo, Spain, on the 26th -27th of June 2018. The meeting was titled “Strengthening fisheries sustainability outside EU” and was the official MR kick-off meeting. This document reports on that meeting. The aim of the meeting was to discuss stakeholders’ interests and needs, related to how they can contribute to the development of the MRs, while improving the sustainability of the fishery of the EU fleet fishing in distant waters. The current status of the work in the different FarFish working groups and case studies were presented to inform the attendants on issueslike “where are we”, “what are the options” and “what do we need”. Despite all challenges in culture, language and interest/needs, progress was made on important issues in the project. Having representatives from both EU and China, as well as authorities from countries that haves signed Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPA) with the EU around the table was one important step towards strengthening EU fisheries sustainability outside EU waters. With relevance to the high-seas case studies, representatives from both the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences (CAFS) and the Long Distance Advisory Council (LDAC) presented their views on the high-seas fisheries. LDAC emphasized the need for a level playing field for fishing operators from EU and nonEU countries, ensuring that all fleets abide by the same international rules and regulations. CAFS highlighted the challenges and main policies that apply to the Chinese distant water fleet and want to contribute actively towards goals aiming towards a more sustainable fishery. To ensure the best utilization of stakeholders’ knowledge and contribution, the participants from similar case studies separated into two working groups. In light of the communicated interests and needs of stakeholders, potential Outcome Targets (OTs) and management recommendations were drafted. Defining OTs is challenging as they are to be initially defined by authorities and implemented by operators, but through the cooperation of both authorities and operators, FarFish has now succeeded in drafting OTs that most stakeholders took part in the discussions of, which in accordance to the RFMS approach should ensure successful implementation of the MRs. The fruitful discussionsin this meeting emphasize that this exercise can be thought provoking. Work Package 3 (WP3) and Work Package 4 (WP4) drafted potential alternative scenarios after the meeting, based on outcomes of the meeting, the MP0 (see D4.1), and OTs presented in MR Invitations (see D3.2). It is however, obvious that many management strategies will achieve a given OT, when the set indicators are yes/no or present/absent. In those cases, the need for modelling of scenarios is redundant.

The aim of the "Arctic as a food producing region" - project is to assess the potential for increased production and added value of food from the Arctic region, with the overarching aim of improving economic and social conditions of Arctic communities. This report is the output from the first phase of the project, providing a description of the main food production and examples of conditions for food production in the Arctic areas of the countries involved. This will form the basis for further analysis of opportunities, driving forces and barriers for further development of arctic food production, in the next phase of the project. The project has participation from Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Russia, and is endorsed by the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG). Arktis som en matproduserende region. Status i fem arktiske land

The FarFish project will collect considerable amount of non-personally identifiable data as well as personal data. It is recognised by the project consortia that privacy and data security is of the upmost importance and will be given special attention. FarFish will follow national and EU regulations on data protection; in particular the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which enters into force in May 2018. The purpose of this document is to provide detailed information on the procedures that will be implemented for collection, storage, protection, retention and destruction of data within the FarFish project and to confirm that they comply with national and EU legislation. The document does also provide detailed information on the informed consent procedures that will be implemented regarding the collection, storage and protection of personal data in the project.

Planlegging i kystsonen har de senere år blitt bedre, og det gjøres mye godt planarbeid ute i kommunene. Flere og flere kommuner har vedtatte planer som dekker sjøarealet, antall interessenter som involveres øker, og omfanget og kvaliteten av datagrunnlaget blir stadig bedre. Flere kommuner tar også initiativ til interkommunale samarbeid hvor større sjøarealer planlegges på tvers av kommunegrensene. Men det er også stor variasjon i hvordan kommunene tilnærmer seg kystsoneplanlegging. Det er et ønske å sikre raskere og mer helhetlig planlegging av sjøarealet. Formålet med denne rapporten er å kartlegge ulike kommuners praksis for kystsoneplanlegging. Rapporten viser at det finnes et bredt spekter av planpraksiser blant ulike kommuner, for eksempel når det gjelder konsekvensutredninger, valg av plantype, bruk av arealformål, og hvordan kommunene legger til rette for deltagelse i planprosessene. Samtidig varierer også tidsbruken i prosessene stort. Det etterspørres en avklaring rundt flere forhold, blant annet hvilket handlingsrom plan- og bygningsloven gir kommunene i møtet med ulike sektorlovverk.

The main objective of the AquaLog project is to understand factors and forces that influence the aquaculture controversy in the Arctic communities. This report summarizes the second workshop in Vancouver, Canada 23-27th April 2017. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Minister and the Norwegian Fram Centre. Aqualog er et nettverksprosjekt finansiert av Nordisk Ministerråd og Framsenteret. Hensikten med prosjektet er å øke forståelsen av konflikter rundt akvakultur og hvordan disse håndteres i de arktiske landene. Rapporten oppsummerer prosjektets andre arbeidsseminar, som fant sted i Vancouver, Canada fra 23. -27. april 2017.

Rognkjeksoppdrett er i voldsom vekst på grunn av dens bruk i lusebekjempelsen i lakseoppdrett. Fra de første tillatelsene ble gitt i 2012 og 430 000 rognkjeks ble produsert, ble det i 2015 produsert 12 millioner rognkjeks. Målt i verdi er oppdrett av rognkjeks blitt den tredje største oppdrettsarten i Norge. Utfordringen i dag er at rognkjeksen slutter å spise lus ved kjønnsmodning og kan derfor kun brukes i en begrenset periode. Rognkjeksen blir da destruert, noe går til ensilasje og noe kastes. Av både etiske og bærekraftsmessige hensyn bør det legges en større innsats i å finne løsninger for etterbruk av rognkjeksen. I dette forprosjektet har vi identifisert mulighetene for eksport av rognkjeks til konsum til et utvalg asiatiske land. Foreløpige resultater viser et klart potensiale for bruk av rognkjeks til konsum. Hovedleveransen til forprosjektet er en søknad om hovedprosjekt til Forskningsrådets Bionærprogram, levert 7. september 2016. Lumpfish is increasingly used as a non-chemical solution to the lice problem in the salmon industry. Today the lumpfish is handled as waste after its use in the net pens. For both ethical and sustainability reasons, ways to further exploit this resource should be explored. There is a potential for creating a new profitable industry by exporting lumpfish for human consumption to Asian markets instead of treating it as bio-based waste. A moderate estimate is a biomass of 10 000 tons per year in 2-3 years. The aim of this pre-project was to explore the possibilities for exporting the lumpfish to Asian markets for human consumption after its use in salmon aquaculture. The project has identified possible markets and resulted in an application for a full, inter-disciplinary project to the Norwegian Research Council.

Målet med prosjektet er å vurdere en potensiell markedsfordel og verdiøkning for norsk fiskerinæring av bærekraftsertifisering. Alternativene som vurderes er uavhengig tredjeparts sertifiseringsprogram (MSC) opp mot etableringen av et nasjonalt program (IRF) og muligheten for å klare seg uten bærekraftsertifisering. Spørsmålet er hva som kan oppnås ved etablering av et nasjonalt merke i forhold til å benytte seg av eksisterende globale merker. Studien viser at det per i dag er urealistisk å klare seg uten sertifisering i mange viktige markeder. Fordelene med bruk av MSC er tungtveiende (anerkjent internasjonalt, etablert, forbrukerlogo, reklamekampanjer), det samme kan man si om utfordringene med å etablere et nasjonalt merke (krever nasjonalt samarbeid, kostnads- og energikrevende). Likevel kan ønsket om nasjonal kontroll være sterkt nok til at fordelene ved en nasjonal strategi er verdt å vurdere. Dette er muligheter til å inkludere norsk opprinnelse og sosial bærekraft, kontroll over pris og kriterier samt motivasjon hos næringen til å fronte norsk bærekraftig fiske og ikke være sårbar for indirekte omdømmetap ved å assosieres med MSC gjennom andre fiskeriers svakheter eller generell kritikk mot MSC. MSC har tjent norsk industris interesser greit. Det er likevel slik at man kan dokumentere bærekraft på andre måter.

Interkommunalt samarbeid i sjø er relativt nytt i forhold til interkommunalt samarbeid på andre områder. Det er likevel klart at mange kommuner, særlig små distriktskommuner mangler eller har liten plankompetanse og derfor kan ha stor nytte av samarbeid på plansiden. En utfordring med interkommunal planlegging er imidlertid spørsmålet om kommunal styring. For politisk ledelse i kommunen vil det ofte være viktig å beholde retten til å styre bruken av areal i egen kommune, uten innblanding eller hensyntagen til nabokommunen. Dette påvirker hvorvidt og hvilken form for interkommunalt samarbeid partene velger. Ifølge Fiskeridirektoratet har de aller fleste kystkommuner en kystsoneplan, men mange er gamle og utdaterte. De inneholder områder avsatt til akvakultur (A-områder) som ikke lenger kan brukes, og mange har ikke vært revidert på flere år. Det er imidlertid mange kommuner som nå er i ferd med å rullere eller lage nye planer og vi ser en stor økning i interkommunal planlegging for sjøarealet. Hele 65 kommuner som er engasjert i 6 ulike prosjekter i fylkene Troms, Nordland, Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal og Hordaland utarbeider felles kystsoneplaner. Intermunicipal cooperation in the sea is relatively new compared to the inter-municipal cooperation in other areas. Nevertheless, it is clear that many municipalities, especially small rural municipalities have lack of expertise and therefore can benefit from cooperation. According to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries most coastal municipalities have a coastal zone plan, but many are old and outdated. However, there are many municipalities that are now starting to roll or make new plans and we see a large increase in inter-municipal planning for sea area. A total of 65 municipalities are involved in 6 different projects in the counties of Troms, Nordland, Trøndelag, Møre og Hordaland prepares intermunicipal coastal zone plans.

Målet med prosjektet er å vurdere en potensiell markedsfordel og verdiøkning for norsk fiskerinæring av bærekraftsertifisering. Alternativene som vurderes er uavhengig tredjeparts sertifiseringsprogram (MSC) opp mot etableringen av et nasjonalt program (IRF) og muligheten for å klare seg uten bærekraftsertifisering. Spørsmålet er hva som kan oppnås ved etablering av et nasjonalt merke i forhold til å benytte seg av eksisterende globale merker. Studien viser at det per i dag er urealistisk å klare seg uten sertifisering i mange viktige markeder. Fordelene med bruk av MSC er tungtveiende (anerkjent internasjonalt, etablert, forbrukerlogo, reklamekampanjer), det samme kan man si om utfordringene med å etablere et nasjonalt merke (krever nasjonalt samarbeid, kostnads- og energikrevende). Likevel kan ønsket om nasjonal kontroll være sterkt nok til at fordelene ved en nasjonal strategi er verdt å vurdere. Dette er muligheter til å inkludere norsk opprinnelse og sosial bærekraft, kontroll over pris og kriterier samt motivasjon hos næringen til å fronte norsk bærekraftig fiske og ikke være sårbar for indirekte omdømmetap ved å assosieres med MSC gjennom andre fiskeriers svakheter eller generell kritikk mot MSC. MSC har tjent norsk industris interesser greit. Det er likevel slik at man kan dokumentere bærekraft på andre måter. The project evaluated the establishing of a national Norwegian sustainability certification scheme against the use of the MSC. What if anything could be gained? The results show some important benefits by MSC; international recognition and accept, consumer logo and advertising cooperation. Benefits with a national program are ability to include origin and social sustainability, motivation in the fleet and industry to improve and embrace the program, control with reputation, criteria and price. MSC have served the Norwegian industry’s interests, but it is still possible to document sustainability using other options.