Poll: Aquaculture needs image boost

The aquaculture industry needs to invest more in boosting its reputation, according to an instant poll during the AquaVision aquaculture conference in Stavanger, Norway, on Tuesday.

More than 80 percent of audience members polled answered “no” to the question, “Are you satisfied with how the industry manages its reputation today?”

Among the audience voters were leaders of the world’s fish farming companies and aquaculture stakeholders. According to the poll, aquaculture firms’ top executives are willing to invest more in the future than they are today in order to strengthen the reputation of the aquaculture industry.

Attendees also stated fish feed raw materials, diseases and parasites and escapes as the most important challenges facing the industry.

"The perception you earn among the public does not necessarily give the objective truth about our business, but it is nonetheless our responsibility. It is vitally important to fill any such gaps, which includes not only perception gaps, but more importantly the quality gaps. A bad industry reputation may have serious consequences for our industry,” said Thomas Farstad, Marine Harvest acting CEO. "Transparency is crucial. You have to tell the truth, and then show that you are taking action to remedy whatever is not good enough. Talking the talk is not enough. Prove it by also walking the walk."

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