Norwegian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Kåre R. Aas recently visited the University of New England to discuss growing aquaculture and closer relationship between Maine and Norway. Courtesy Photo

BIDDEFORD — Sustainable ocean economies was the topic when the Norwegian ambassador to the U.S, visited the University of New England earlier this month.

On Nov. 7, UNE hosted for a meeting of UNE leadership, policy makers and Maine aquaculture experts at UNE NORTH – The Institute for North Atlantic Studies in Portland.

The meeting, part of a two-day visit by the ambassador and his staff to learn more about Maine’s sustainable coastal development initiatives, was organized by the Maine North Atlantic Development Office, or MENADO, on behalf of the State of Maine. It focused on the development of sustainable ocean economies.

Ambassador Aas encouraged developing new Maine – Norway partnerships, particularly in support of sustainable ocean economies that are guided by the U.N. Sustainable Development goals, according to a UNE press release.

“It was a pleasure to visit UNE and learn more about Maine’s ocean economy,” he said. “I see great opportunities for strengthened cooperation between Norway and Maine, not least in aquaculture.”

Sebastian Belle of the Maine Aquaculture Association, who spent 10 years “learning his trade” in Norway, noted that the growth of Maine’s aquaculture sector has grown almost on pace with the rest of the world, and at a higher rate than the country as a whole. While aquaculture worldwide has grown at a rate of 8 percent, he said, U.S. aquaculture has grown only 1 percent. But in contrast to the rest of the U.S., Maine aquaculture has grown at a rate of 7 percent. Collaboration between industry and academia is key to continuing that growth by providing a workforce with the needed entrepreneurial and technical skills, Belle said.

UNE’s use of strategic international partnerships support both education and research initiatives that will help support the aquaculture industry with new technologies and next generation leaders who will continue to develop the sector, grounding it firmly in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UNE NORTH Executive Director Barry Costa-Pierce said. UNE’s Professional Science Master’s in Ocean Food Systems, built on partnerships with University of Akureyri and Holar University College in Iceland and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, is currently training its inaugural class of nine students who are working on industry-based projects in Maine, Iceland, Alaska and Belize. UNE is also the only U.S. university that is a partner in the AquaVitae project, led by Norwegian aquaculture research institute Nofima, Costa-Pierce said . Launched earlier this year, the European Union funded an 8 million Euro project that joins over 36 partners from across 16 countries around the Atlantic to increase low-trophic species production.

Both Belle and Costa-Pierce talked about Norway’s strengths in aquaculture and the leadership role the country, its industries and researchers, particularly in demonstrating the need for a social contract when it comes to developing sustainable ocean economies.

“The natural synergies between Maine and the Nordic countries, including Norway, are manifested by many growing academic, industry and governmental partnerships. I’m proud that UNE is able to play a leading role in these developments,” UNE President James Herbert said

MENADO Executive Director Dana Eidsness, who organized the meeting, talked about the Arctic Economic Council’s Blue Economy Working Group which aims to facilitate business activities and responsible recourse development throughout the circumpolar Arctic. Eidsness chairs the international working group. “There’s great potential for collaboration and cooperation between Maine and Norway’s marine sectors and our conversations with the Ambassador at UNE North underscored this,” Eidsness said. “Collaborations around aquaculture, coastal green shipping and working together to contribute to a pan-Arctic blue economy initiative under the Arctic Economic Council are very possible outcomes of our meeting, today.”