On 9 November 2022, H.E. Ms. Vimolbajra Ruksakiati, Ambassador of Thailand to Norway along with Ms. Bheraya Homkosol, Counsellor, by invitation of H.E. Ms. Auramon Sapthaweethum, Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, have participated in a study visit related to the Norwegian advanced technologies in seafood processing and management of the seafood industries. The study visit was organized by the Norwegian Seafood Council(NSC), Ministry of Trade, Industries and Fisheries and a part of Thai-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) negotiations.

 

Ambassador of Thailand to Norway, Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations, officers from Royal Thai Embassy in Oslo and the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand were accompanied by Mr. Sveinung Fransplass Røren to the Head Office of Blom Fiskeoppdrett AS at Øygarden, 50 Kilometer west of Bergen. The delegation was received by Mr. Jørgen Viksund, Responsible for Visitors officer, who gave a very informative presentation about the company’s fish farming production. The delegation, then was taken on a speed boat to the base to observe the company’s management of salmon pans in an open sea.

 

Blom Fiskeoppdrett AS was found in 1971 and disposals 10 farms for salmon and rainbow trout. The one at Øygarden is considered as a medium size farm with 7 fish pans, where around 100,000 salmon are fed in each. The delegation has learned a lot of useful information on the using of technologies and innovation, along with Norwegian’s ethics and concepts on environmental protection, in order to create a sustainable fish farming solution. This has contributed to the efficient treatment for the fish’s health and resulted in high quality and high nutrition fish products for consumers.

 

At present, Thailand is the biggest Norwegian seafood importer in Southeast Asia and the third in Asia after China and South Korea. During January – October 2022, 19,041 tons of Norwegian salmon and trout were imported to Thailand. The amount is 64% increase from the import amount of Norwegian seafood in the same period of 2021. When the Free Trade Area between Thailand and EFTA is concluded, bilateral trade cooperation can be further enhanced, especially from the decrease in tariff of processed seafood.