Is Swedish demand for Norwegian salmon linked to the move from small-scale to large-scale fishing in the Baltic Sea, where the catch is used as feed?

"Salmon is the most consumed fish in Sweden, so it is very important for us to understand how we can eat it with a clear conscience. If there are problems, we need to understand them so that we can act together with the relevant stakeholders," says Krishan Kent, Chairman of the Swedish Fish Industry Association.  

Independent review of research 

The industry organisation represents more than 165 companies from sea to table, with a combined turnover of almost SEK 18 billion and 5,000 employees. The Swedish Fish Industry Association works for a sustainable "blue" food chain. This includes ensuring that there are functioning regulations, guidelines and trade policy instruments that make the supply of raw materials to Swedish companies qualitatively and quantitatively secure. Answering questions from the industry is also an important part of the work.  

"I believe that all industries would benefit from moving from discussions based on opinions to a common platform based on facts. When I look at our industry, I feel that the fact base on seafood is generally quite weak and the dialogue is fragmented with many stakeholders in different channels," says Krishan Kent.

"In this case, there had been discussions about whether Norwegian salmon farming was having a negative impact on the ecosystem in the Baltic Sea, and we wanted to understand more about it."

Taking ownership of the problem

RISE has twice compiled and analysed available data, industry data and public reports. This has resulted in reports that the Swedish Fish Industry Association now uses as a knowledge base. These include reports on the nutritional content, undesirable substances and climate footprint of farmed salmon, and on whether Swedish consumption of farmed salmon is driving Swedish industrial fishing in the Baltic Sea.

"We chose RISE because we believe they are the strongest independent actor linking industry and research," says Krishan Kent.

Friederike Ziegler, researcher and project manager for sustainable seafood at RISE:

"Seafood is quite complex, involving many different production systems and many actors with different perspectives. It can be difficult to navigate. The Swedish Fish Industry Association cannot be familiar with all the technical details. That is why they wanted an independent review of what the research says about the claims being made."

"I think it's impressive that a trade organisation like the Swedish Seafood Federation wants to find out what the situation is without preconditions and put the cards on the table."

Krishan Kent:

"We choose to be transparent in order to take responsibility for any problems, so that the issues come to us rather than floating around on social media. We want to show that we are following, seeing and taking the issue of farmed salmon seriously."

"The latest report shows that there is a very small link between the consumption of Norwegian salmon and the industrial fishing of herring in the Baltic Sea, but it is still the case that there are things we need to work on to ensure a sustainable Swedish market in the long term."

Want to be more proactive

In the debate about fishing and seafood, new issues are constantly emerging. The Swedish Fish Industry Association has therefore asked RISE to help it plan which questions the organisation should answer in the future. The idea is to move away from being reactive to things that flare up in the media, to thinking about what knowledge is needed to provide clear and robust information, thereby creating the factual platform that is currently lacking.

"At our Seafood Forums, where we meet with stakeholders, we highlight the big issues and the bubbles that have not yet burst. We want to develop this approach further. Our members and stakeholders should be confident that we as an industry association have a factual basis and credibility, not just opinions," says Krishan Kent. 

In its Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU aims to double the share of recycled materials used in the Union between 2020 and 2030. The stated aim is to reduce the extraction of so-called virgin materials and the production of new raw materials. But, so far, the transition is slow, not least because of low acceptance among end consumers, gaps in technology and system development, and uncertainty linked to recycled raw materials. 

Low pace of transition stems from uncertainty 

In 2021, the proportion of recycled material corresponded to 11.7% of the materials used in the EU, an increase of only 1% since 2010. 

“Several companies are not ready to take decisions that would have a real impact,” says Peter Stigson, Research and Business Developer at RISE. 

There are many reasons for this, including uncertainty about traceability and quality, as well as long-term availability. 

“It’s true that there is a lot of variation in the availability of recycled products right now,” says Jönsson. “But remember, in the long run, the opposite is true: access to virgin material will be similar to the situation with oil. Other raw materials, such as cotton, which requires an unreasonable amount of water and area to cultivate, are becoming increasingly problematic. In other cases, we will have a type of material competition. For example, what should we use Swedish forests for? Clothes, paper, house, energy...? We will not be able to do everything, but must find ways to instead recycle and reuse what is what we can.” 

One example is the critical metals and minerals that will be needed in the energy transition. Here, RISE has carried assessments on the long-term availability: 

“These must also enter the recycling cycle. Less than one percent is recycled today.” 

Traceability challenging but important 

And equally important is our common approach to recycling. Peter Stigson has headed up expert groups with a focus on increased traceability and circular economy from a system perspective. An interesting question was how the sometimes problematic history of the original material should be viewed. Take cobalt as an example, which may have been mined in a reprehensible way, many people feel that it should be recycled since it is already in circulation. But can recycling really erase a sense of guilt? And how should the history of a material be communicated? 

“Our group of experts concluded that you can’t just ignore the origin of a material – it must be regulated and communicated in some way. But this is complex, particularly when it comes to metals that are melted down and mixed time after time. The way the issue of responsibility and information should be viewed is more akin to philosophy, ethics, and morality. The important thing is that everyone, not least consumers, understands the problem and accepts the solution.” 

Christina Jönsson: 

“A circular economy requires trade-offs, for example, when it comes to the properties and sometimes even the quality of recycled materials.” 

Customers must accept new ways of thinking 

A clear example is the concept of mass balance, which means that companies mix a certain amount of recycled material into a production run. This means that individual products, such as a bag, may not contain the amount of recycled material claimed by the company, but the series itself does over time. 

“This is a concept that some find difficult to accept,” says Stigson. “If someone buys a backpack that is stated to consist of 50 percent recycled, the person expects that particular bag to contain that percentage. But on a larger scale, it doesn’t work that way, and if the major manufacturers are to accept recycled material, they need to be able to set targets over time.” 

Long list of policies now becoming regulations 

A lot of changes will be noticeable in the future. On the one hand, numerous policies at both EU level and international level have now been adopted and have started to trickle down as regulations. 

“But we are also starting to reach a point where we are achieving both a technical and regulatory level and becoming more willing to make investments,” says Jönsson. “There has previously been a lack of technologies, operators, traceability systems, logistics systems... Now, politics is also pushing us in that direction and processes and technology are starting to become more commonplace.”

Energy gases are important not least in the transport sector, which aims to be fossil-free by 2030. Hydrogen can, for example, be used in fuel cells, which is a clean technology with water vapor as the only residual product. Biogas and biomethane also have many advantages in the transition. However, if the gas used is not of the correct composition or purity, it can cause operational problems and serious damages.

“Gas accounts for 20 percent of energy in Europe today but have an even greater potential. In addition to the environmental aspects, Europe can also become more independent by producing more biogas and biomethane instead of importing natural gas. At the same time, chemical analyses of energy gases is a relatively new field that has only developed properly in the last ten years”, says Karine Arrhenius, researcher at RISE who works with chemical analyses and development of quality-assured measurement for energy gases.

Composition and purity requirements

For each area of use, there are specifications with requirements on the quality, composition, and purity of the gas. These requirements exist to protect health or equipment, but also to allow the systems to function optimally. To ensure that the gas meets the requirements, chemical analyses, and quality-assured measurements are required.

“This in turn requires reference material, quality-assured sampling, standards and of course, analysis methods”, says Karine Arrhenius.

Laboratory comparisons important for quality

A large part of the development of these methods and standards takes place in collaboration with European colleagues in projects that RISE both participates in and coordinates. RISE has been involved in developing new ISO standards that are expected to be published next year and has been involved in developing a platform with an overview of various European laboratories that offer services linked to energy gases. RISE both participates in and arranges European laboratory comparisons, which are important for maintaining quality in the laboratory. The participating laboratories analyse a reference gas with a known composition and purity. The results are then compared.

“These comparisons are the best way to show the laboratory’s ability and reliability. It is also a requirement for accreditation to participate in such comparisons. Right now, we are organising two comparisons, one with hydrogen with 13 participating laboratories, and one with biomethane.

In addition to chemical measurements, RISE also works with measurements of gas flow, which is needed in areas such as calibrating flow meters at gas stations, and with testing sensors to be able to handle the gases in a safe way. The sensors can be used to trigger alarms, activate ventilation, or shut down systems to prevent flammable levels of gases. During the production of energy gases, carbon dioxide is also formed which needs to be taken care of, either by storing it (CCS, Carbon Capture and Storage) or by using it (CCUS, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage).

“We could, for example, use the carbon dioxide produced in greenhouses or to produce carbonated drinks. Here, too, there are specifications that require chemical analyses”, says Karine Arrhenius.

New questions and problems

Most measurements and analyses take place in a laboratory environment, but field measurements also occur. Some measurements take place online, i.e., while a production process is in progress. For Karine Arrhenius, this means a never-ending stream of questions and problems that need to be solved.

“We develop new analysis methods through new research, which creates new services for customers, new services bring new customers who have new questions. I have sometimes wondered when there will be a point where no new questions can be found, but it doesn't seem to be coming. There are new gases to be analysed, new mixtures, new standardisation needs, new methods to be developed”, says Karine Arrhenius.