Young seafood farmers unite to shape future of the Blue Economy

A new global network, including young salmon farmers from British Columbia, is set to empower the next generation of professionals in the seafood sector.

By Fabian Dawson
SeaWestNews

Driven by innovation, resilience, and a strong bond with coastal communities, a new generation of seafood farmers has united in a global initiative to shape the future of sustainable aquaculture and the blue economy.

This week in Bergen, Norway, the YoungFish Conference witnessed the official launch of the Next Generation Seafood Alliance (NGSA), a global initiative aimed at empowering young professionals in the seafood sector.

“Our mission is to empower younger generations by fostering enthusiasm, innovation, and visibility for our industry. We aim to cement seafood production as a key driver of future food systems and its role in the greater blue economy,” said Janicke Eckhoff, President of NGSA.

“By connecting across borders and supply chain segments, and by harnessing our deep-rooted passion for the industry, we believe we can inspire new ways of thinking and fresh conversations while supporting responsible seafood production and coastal communities,” she said.

The NGSA is a network organization founded by a coalition of three independent young professional networks: YoungFish, the Young Aquaculture Society, and the Young Salmon Farmers of British Columbia.

“Young people are untapped ambassadors for the seafood sector and can tell the story of seafood in an authentic way because it is their everyday work,” said Michelle Franze, co-founder and co-director of Young Salmon Farmers of B.C.

“It’s important that we give a voice to the highly motivated and passionate young professionals, as we have many shared values globally on the potential of the seafood sector,” she said.

The NGSA was formed as a result of an initiative taken by the International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA), an umbrella organization comprised of national and regional salmon aquaculture associations from around the world.

“We have followed these young professional networks in our respective regions for a while and have seen how they foster community and activity for young people working in our industry,” said Jon Arne Grøttum, President of ISFA.

“We wanted to explore ways to support these efforts on a global scale, so we invited the three networks to join forces and develop a collaborative plan that ISFA could support. They drive a hard bargain, but after six months of deliberation, we are excited to announce that ISFA will support the Next Generation Seafood Alliance in its first phase,” he said.

The first phase, beginning this month, is focused on supporting new regional seafood networks and engaging young professionals globally.

“Creating a framework to support young professional collaboration across borders has been an exciting challenge and we are looking forward to capitalizing on this momentum,” said Andrew Richardson, founder and president, Young Aquaculture Society.

“Put simply, we aim to provide professional opportunities for the seafood community and support the development of tomorrow’s leaders,” he said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 58.5 million people were engaged in fisheries and aquaculture worldwide, with about 35% employed in aquaculture.

The aquaculture industry tends to attract younger workers, with many employees being under the age of 40. This demographic trend is crucial as it indicates the potential for innovation and sustainability within the sector, states the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

In British Columbia, salmon farmers support over 4,560 jobs, including about 1,000 Indigenous people directly and indirectly in the sector’s supply chain. A significant portion of those employed in this aquaculture sector are young people earning average annual median wages of between $36,665 and $65,863.

Main Image shows Next Generation Seafood Alliance members From left to right, Janicke Eckhoff (NGSA), Andrew Richardson (YAS), Michelle Franze (YSFBC), Mads Aarvik (YoungFish), and Marte Hagen Røe (YoungFish and panel moderator).