"The continued growth in delegate numbers is a strong recognition of the quality and relevance of the conference content," said Andre Akse, NASF General Manager.
Photo: North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF).
From this morning until next Thursday, March 5, Bergen will be the capital of the seafood industry, hosting the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF). Following the record attendance at its 20th edition last year, this year's conference marks a new milestone, welcoming over 1,150 seafood executives, experts, and investors, surpassing last year's mark.
"The continued growth in delegate numbers is a strong recognition of the quality and relevance of the conference content we deliver year after year," said Andre Akse, General Manager of NASF. "More importantly, it underlines how vital this meeting place has become for the global seafood industry."
"At a time of rapid change and increasing complexity, the opportunity to gather the industry's top executives, experts and investors under one roof in Bergen is more important than ever," he added.
Defined by its organizers as "the world's largest top-level business conference for the seafood industry," year after year, NASF brings together the most influential voices in the sector, leaders from across the seafood value chain, from harvesting and farming to processing, finance, technology, and innovation, providing them with a platform for strategic discussions, knowledge sharing and executive-level networking.
Over these three days, delegates will participate in presentations, panel discussions, and one-on-one meetings covering market trends, sustainability, geopolitics, technological innovation, and finance. In addition, investors will also have the opportunity to connect directly with companies and industry leaders.
Today's session, the first of the three that will make up the conference, focuses on three aspects: technology, markets and pelagic.
Thus, NASF Tech AQUA will showcase cutting-edge advancements in aquaculture systems, feed optimization, fish welfare, and operational efficiency. The conference's flagship technology stream will also include the presentation of the Innovation Award Candidate Showcase, highlighting groundbreaking ideas that are transforming the seafood value chain.
Organized in collaboration with Euronext and Oslo Børs, the first day is also the Salmon Market Day, where, through an in-depth analysis of global salmon prices, supply and demand, quality performance and consumption trends, delegates gain insights to support their production and marketing strategies.
In the afternoon session, Pelagic Tuesday brings together scientists, industry representatives, and fishers to address urgent issues around North Atlantic pelagic species, such as quota alignment, sustainability, stock status, and long-term stability.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 4, is the main day of NASF, and it is divided into two parts: to begin with, the Plenary Session will be held, and afterwards, delegates will be able to choose between three strategic, high-impact streams.
Presented by Pareto Securities and AON, according to the program, the Plenary Session: Managing Risk & Global Trade in the Seafood Industry will feature a CEO panel from leading global companies who will explore how geopolitical shifts, trade disruptions, environmental pressures, and investment volatility are reshaping the seafood sector, sharing strategies for resilience, innovation, and sustainable growth.
The panel this year will bring together Christian Jomaas, CEO of Pareto Securities; Erwan Vilfeu, President & Executive Board Member at Thai Union Group; Paul Jewer, CEO at High Liner Foods; Ciara Jackson, Enterprise Client Leader at AON; Henning Beltestad, CEO of Lerøy Seafood Group; and Steven Rafferty, CEO of Cermaq Group.
Next, as mentioned, delegates can participate in three different strategic, high-impact streams:
Pareto Global Salmon Summit. This session, which brings together the world's largest salmon producers in roundtables with CEOs, will offer an in-depth look at the salmon industry, covering supply and demand dynamics, production innovations, and emerging technologies.
Whitefish and Aquafeed Streams. Two fundamental pillars of seafood production, the session on whitefish will explore strategic transformation amid changing demand, rising costs, and environmental pressures, providing practical insights on innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. The Aquafeed Summit, meanwhile, will address feed as a defining strategic variable in modern aquaculture, examining market dynamics, evolving feed strategies, precision nutrition, and raw material innovation.
Sustainability Summit. Through expert panels and practical discussions, delegates will examine sustainability solutions to achieve responsible practices, supply chain improvements, fish welfare, and long-term value creation. The session will conclude with NASF's first Sustainability Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and measurable impact in environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and responsible operations across the North Atlantic, and whose finalists are Seafish, MSC and Veramaris.
The final day of this 21st edition of NASF, Thursday, March 5, will focus on next-generation salmon production and digital transformation. Attendees will explore closed-containment at sea, offshore farming, and land-based systems "to unlock capacity, improve performance, and support sustainable growth."
In addition, during the day, there will also be discussions about how seafood companies can become "Frontier Firms," leveraging AI, cloud, IoT (internet of the things), and autonomous systems to scale operations, improve efficiency, ensure traceability, and empower workforces, "demonstrating how innovation can transform operations while enhancing environmental and social outcomes."
