- Why do we eat so few types of fish?
- The scam of food labels.
From the icy waters of the Norwegian fjords, to the national fishmongers in 60 hours. Salmon is a species with a surname: "For nine out of 10 Spaniards, talking about this kind of quality is talking about Norwegian salmon," says Bjorn Erik Stabell, director of the Norwegian Sea Products Council in Madrid. With an export volume in 2018 of 77,000 tons, 91% of the salmon consumed in our country carries a Scandinavian label .
Christmas tastes like nougat, mantecado and salmon . More than half of the national buyers affirm that the festive menu is not lacking and for a third it is the preferred variety of these dates. Better if smoked , especially in households with older members (64%), with data from this entity.
This blue fish provides a " great source of Omega 3, it is rich in protein and vitamin A, D and B12, " says Dr. Fedon Lindberg, a specialist in internal and endocrine medicine. Omega 3 fatty acids, as noted by the nutrition expert (has published more than 20 books on the subject), very beneficial "for the growth and division of cells, prevents heart attacks and helps the maturation of children and His learning".
Round and round, baked or simply raw. The "Norwegian superfood," in the doctor's words, is simple to prepare. With few thorns and attractive color, its consumption grows two points in Spain . It reaches a market share of 13% and eliminates hake (12%), the favorite species of the national recipe, while the total of fish and shellfish decreases in the country, with a total of 893 million kilos and an expense 8,261 million euros in this type of products, as can be seen from the Nielsen consulting report at the 20th AECOC Congress of Sea Products.
THE SALMON DIPLOMACY
To publicize and promote the consumption of marine species and also their forms of fishing and sustainable aquaculture, the Norwegian government maintains 13 salmon ambassadors in different countries, in its Norwegian Sea Products Council. Madrid is a key point for its promotion and for a year and a half, Bjorn Erik Stabell is the director of the promotion office in Spain, an organization that also draws on a 0.03% fee provided by companies in the sector .
A public relations position , with semi-diplomatic status , that lasts five years. "Spain is a great market for us," Stabell reveals. Every day, one million rations of Norwegian salmon are taken in Spain . It has increased significantly since 2012 "thanks to the publicity and information work of this fish since citizens are increasingly aware and responsible for what they eat."
Aquaculture, in five steps
According to the estimate of the United Nations Organization, in 2050 the world population will be around 10,000 million people (7,500, in 2017). A figure that will require a 70% increase in food production for its supply.
Aquaculture - the technique of raising fish in the sea - Norwegian uses the natural resources of the fjords, with cold and crystalline waters . A very efficient and more ecological artificial process than other methods: the salmon, being cold-blooded, does not use its energy to regulate body temperature if not to grow. Hence, to produce a kilo of this fish only 1.2 kg of feed is needed, when 3 kg of food is required to obtain a kilo of pork and 8 kg for one of veal.
In the country of 5.2 million inhabitants and 29,000 km of coastline (not counting the islands), the government publishes every year a report with data from the sector to "guarantee total transparency". From the exams that the companies pass to the sanctions of those who do not pass them , "to the number of fish that escape from the cages," explains Anne Brit Fjermedal, from the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries.
The breeding process is divided into five phases. In the first, the fertilized roe spend around 80 days at a constant temperature. After the hatching of the eggs, the second stage begins. The fry is self-sufficient and feeds with a sack in its stomach . The first 10-15 months, in the third phase of its growth, the smolt (young salmon) is reared in fresh water and its growth is controlled. "Every day we collect samples from the pools to check all the parameters," explains Vider Vold, head of the Kjaerelva plant of the Leroy company, with pools about two hours off the coast of Bergen. "To reduce the environmental impact, we continuously recycle that water," he acknowledges. With the droppings, they create biodiesel and fertilizer .
From this age, the fish is ready to go out to sea. It weighs 60 to 100 grams. "Before transferring them to the cages, we test them to ensure they are perfect, with vaccines against marine bacteria. We never inject antibiotics," says the veterinarian.
By law, round pools have a diameter of 50 meters and the same depth , with capacity for 200,000 fish. Not one more, "to be able to swim in banks," says Vold.
The fourth stage is ripening. The animal grows for 14-22 months in the submerged farms of the fjords that this company has, which annually bills two billion euros and employs more than 4,500 workers. They are fed in a regulated manner by an automatic system, such as a lawn sprinkler, that launches the feed . The one of Leroy, like the one of all the entities of the sector, is own (although they do not elaborate it) and the secret recipe. The fish already reach a weight of between four and six kilos and are ready to be caught and prepared or processed.
Thanks to the farming of this fish, 14 million Norwegian salmon meals are consumed every day worldwide . The process is similar in the 165 salmon producing companies , of which only Mowi and Leroy make up half (approximately) of the total catches, being, in that order, the two most important by volume in the world. "Aquaculture is becoming more professional," says Ola Helge Hjetland, director of communication at Mowi, capable of producing "6.4 million meals a day. We can feed the entire population of Norway on a daily basis." According to the spokesman, "40% of the cost of raising salmon is their diet." In their company, they manufacture the feed themselves.
Both companies guarantee their "raised with responsibility and transparency" with the ASC seal of WWF (World Forum for Nature). A certificate that endorses "responsible aquaculture" and prohibits, for example, genetically modified animals.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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