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Focus on marine raw materials

Utilisation of marine raw materials is central when Fiskeriforskning organises the annual Biomarine Industry Seminar in Bergen in December
November 30, 2006

Focus on marine raw materials

"The seminar will be an important meeting place for the research and that part of the industry that uses raw materials from the sea for its products", says Ola Flesland, who is Department Director for Fiskeriforskning in Bergen.

Health from the sea

One of the lecturers is Hogne Vik, who is responsible for the Research Department and Medical Department in the pharmaceutical company Pronova Biocare AS.

The company owns and manufactures the world's only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Omega-3 product - Omacor - which reduces the risk of death from heart attacks. The product has been on sale in Europe since 1995 and was launched in the USA in 2005.

Vik is going to talk about how to succeed with marine raw materials in the tough, international competition in the pharmaceutical industry.

"For us, it's important to strengthen the contact with the fisheries and research institutions in Norway. The ideas for the new pharmaceutical substances arise in the research institutions, and we want to share our experiences with you", he says.

New raw materials for the industry

Fiskeriforskning is also appearing with its own introductory speakers at the seminar. One of the key persons in the Institute's efforts on utilisation of raw materials from the sea is Senior Scientist Anders Aksnes.

"Anders is going to talk about how we can identify and use marine raw materials better than we do today, both as ingredients in fish feed and in foodstuffs. This also opens the way for an improved use of vegetable ingredients", continues Flesland.

Scientists at Fiskeriforskning are in the process of study how krill - which until now has not been utilised commercially - can be used in feed for farmed salmon. The results from this research will also be presented at the seminar.

The seminar will be in Norwegian only.

More information about the seminar and the related subjects: Contact Department Director Ola Flesland directly at (+47) 55 50 12 01.