Norwegian Seafood Council implementing “think global, act local” strategy

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 …

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Seafood Council