A “think global, act local” tactic being used by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is paying dividends by driving awareness and consumption of Norwegian seafood on the domestic market and abroad.
The NSC, which has honed its use of market insight and localized consumer campaigns to enhance the consumption and value of Norwegian seafood, undertook projects across Europe in 2022, with the premise that encouraging consumption of seafood from a young age can lead to a lifelong affinity
NSC Communications Director Martin Skaug told SeafoodSource, consumption trends vary significantly around the world, requiring a varied strategy.
“It has been encouraging to see how different nations tackle the global issue of seafood consumption. It is evident that we all need to consider incorporating more fish into our diets, and it’s important that we educate our future generations on the overall benefits,” Skaug said.
In the U.K., where Norway is the largest supplier of seafood to the United Kingdom, per capita consumption has begun lagging far behind recommended dietary intake levels. In a pilot project, NSC collaborated with businesses, schools, and families in one U.K. town in an effort to encourage participating families to eat more seafood. Pupils at two primary schools learnt how to make a healthy, nutritious fish dish, and were provided with fresh ingredients, recipes, and nutritional information, and discussed their progress at weekly meetings.
“All of the participating families said they are highly likely to replace some of the meat in their diet with fish moving forward, which is an encouraging result,” Skaug said.
The NSC also funded promotional activities in local fish-and-chip shops and pubs, with positive feedback, according to Skaug.
NSC CEO Christian Chramer said Norway and the U.K. have a longstanding seafood partnership that he hopes to strengthen with additional market activity. As part of this effort, NSC is finalizing plans to run a major national consumer campaign in the U.K. in the third quarter of 2023, with a target reach of 32 million consumers.
Chramer took part in the Norway-U.K. Seafood Summit on 27 February, 2023, at which delegates from each country discussed the furthering of joint efforts to strengthen their seafood trade.
“The job our two nations do together is more important than ever. To cooperate, to share insight, and to help businesses manoeuvre in uncertain times and rough seas is key to the future of the industry,” Chramer said. “Norway and the U.K. have a shared agenda when it comes to seafood. Both countries are proud ocean and seafood nations, and we share the need to work together to make sure that our seafood is farmed and caught sustainably so that it is delivered to the market in the best possible way, meeting the consumers demands and needs.
In France, the NSC recently completed a study that found 59 percent of the French population only knows how to cook between one and three different seafood dishes and that 41.8 million French consumers eat less than the recommended amount of seafood per week.
Following the study, the NSC conducted a social media campaign with a focus on promoting saithe, which is third most-purchased fish in France, behind salmon and cod. According to figures from FranceAgriMer, 23 percent of households purchase saithe annually, whereas 52 percent buy salmon. In 2021, just under 9,000 metric tons of saithe worth EUR 94 million (USD 103 million, GBP 83 million) were consumed in France.
The NSC campaign used five parenting and lifestyle influencers, who were given meal-kits, information leaflets, and recipes and were encouraged to help reestablish saithe as a firm favorite on the French family meal table.
“We hope these campaigns will inspire consumers to eat more sustainably sourced seafood and look forward to exploring similar initiatives further this year,” Skaug said. Skaug said with such local efforts, he is confident Norway’s seafood resource will play an important part in feeding the entire world. However, he said he’s most concerned about ensuring younger generations get hooked on seafood to maintain demand into the future. For the NSC, work on that front begins at home.
“Our research in Norway, showed that up to 80 percent of children are currently not eating the recommended two to three portions of seafood per week,” Skaug said.
The organization’s answer was to set up Fiskesprell, a multiagency initiative between Norway’s Ministry of Health and Care Services, its Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, the Norwegian Seafood Council, and the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organization.
The initiative operates in kindergartens, primary schools and junior high schools, providing courses for teachers, plus teaching materials and financial support to purchase seafood, so that children can learn about the importance of eating seafood for health. It also works with parents to encourage them to cook seafood at home.
“We organize courses all over the country for those who work or are training for a job in kindergartens and schools,” Skaug said.
Doing his part to ensure the global uptake of Norwegian seafood, Chramer is planning trips in 2023 to visit Singapore, China, Japan, Poland, Germany, and Thailand to further secure business in these areas.
“As this demand evolves, it’s essential we stay innovative, knowledgeable, and insight-driven – working together to put seafood on people’s plates that we’re proud of, [while] keeping an open eye for the quick changes and the still-undetected challenges in our rapidly changing world," Chramer said.
Photo courtesy of Norwegian Seafood Council
