China may be about to get Norwegian help with its deep-sea aquaculture projects following the normalization of trade relations between the two countries late last year.
With a well-stated ambition to increase output from its deep-sea cages, China wants to learn from Norwegian expertise on deep-sea cage aquaculture, according to Lin Ying Jie, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, China’s premier aquaculture research institute. Jie recently received a visit from Rolf Engelsen and Øivind Strand of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, along with several officials from the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing.
Norway is offering assistance and advice gleaned from its successful cage-based salmon industry to several Asian countries as part of its overseas aid program. While China has big plans for deep-sea aquaculture, the country has had major problems managing coastal pollution as well as damage from overconcentration of cage aquaculture on its coast.
Relations between Norway and China have begun to thaw after being in deep-freeze for years since the Norway-based Nobel committee awarded its peace prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2012.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg will lead a trade delegation to China – including several major seafood firms – next month.
