The particularly positive experiences with the Saltfish Forum triggered strong desires among industrial actors to establish corresponding networks directed towards other segments of the industry. This was followed up by the Secretariat in NSF. In the years that followed and up until the present, the following networks were established under the direction of NSF and are in operation by and for NSF’s members:
|
Name of network |
Target group |
|
Bacalao Forum (bacalao, saltfish) |
Producers of saltfish and bacalao |
|
Fillet Forum (codfish fillets) |
Fillet producers |
|
Prawn Forum (shrimps, prawns) |
Shrimp and prawn producers |
|
Pelagic Forum (pelagic species) |
Producers/exporters of seafood from pelagic species (herring, mackerel, etc.) |
|
Stockfish Forum (stockfish) |
Producers/exporters of stockfish |
|
Technical Forum (equipment, automation) |
Network for promoting technical know-how in all branches of the fishing industry |
The Norwegian Seafood Federation organizes and holds the Secretariat for all fora. All participating companies must also be members of NSF. Outsiders are invited to individual network meetings to offer their professional contributions and to make suggestions for plans of action, etc. In addition to researchers and consultants this includes equipment and service suppliers.
For maintaining the Secretariat and operation of the network, the individual member company pays an annual membership fee in the range of NKr5 000-10 000 (€600-1 200). To the extent that R&D projects are initiated and implemented with NSF as the project-managing institution, after improvements and recommendations by the Forum, the projects will return funds for operation of the Forum. The companies cover travel, accommodation and wage expenses for their own participants at meetings/network meetings and can generally participate with as many persons as they wish at each meeting.
Each network normally holds two or three meetings per year. As mentioned above, researchers, consultants, suppliers and other competent persons are typically invited to the meetings to provide information about selected relevant themes. The network meetings thereby become an arena for exchanging views, inviting and inspiring active participation by the members. A more general agenda for a network meeting might look like this:
Exchange of experience
Competence-developing initiatives
Research news, general
Innovation and development, research needs
Planning, financing and initiation of R&D projects
Reporting and follow-up of implemented projects
Implementation of results
Each forum has a Steering Committee who holds meetings between network meetings, and whose duties include submitting recommendations for plans of action and special priorities for the network in close collaboration with the Secretariat. The members of the Steering Committee normally have their travel and accommodation expenses for the meetings covered.
