Salmon welfare in aquaculture

Presenting companies: DNV | Veterinary Institute | Åkerblå | NTNU | Norwegian Food Safety Authority | The Norwegian Seafood Federation | Norsk Kylling | FHF | Salmon Living Lab | Eide Fjordbruk

Session overview:

The salmon industry faces rising demand, stricter regulations, and growing scrutiny over sustainability. Join DNV’s panel discussion, Salmon Welfare in Aquaculture, on salmon welfare challenges, regulatory impacts, innovative solutions, and opportunities for industry collaboration. The panel discussion, introduced by Geir Fuglerud, CEO of Supply Chain and Product Assurance at DNV, offers an opportunity to connect with experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to shape ethical, sustainable aquaculture practices and promote fish welfare as a foundation for industry growth.

Panel 1: An industry at risk

Panel 2: Sustainable growth through industry change management

The seminar aims to encourage open, solutions-oriented discussions, exploring the challenges and opportunities of fish welfare from multiple perspectives. Topics will include the impact of regulations, the potential of innovation, and the power of collective industry action.

Session introduction:

Geir Fuglerud
CEO of Supply Chain and Product Assurance at DNV

Geir Fuglerud became CEO of Supply Chain & Product Assurance in March 2023.With 20 years of international experience, particularly in the maritime and energy industries, he has significantly contributed to building DNV’s position in important growth markets.

Since joining DNV in 2006, Geir has held key leadership roles in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, driving customer centricity and operational excellence.

Most recently, as Director of Offshore Classification in DNV’s Maritime business area, he played a pivotal role in enhancing DNV’s service portfolio and standards towards the offshore industry.

Geir holds a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and University of Glasgow,and a Graduate Diploma in International Business from the University of Auckland.

Panel 1: An industry at risk

Panel introduction by Edgar Brun.

Edgar Brun
Academic Director of Fish Health and Welfare at the Veterinary Institute

Edgar is a Veterinarian with a Dr. scient. from NVH and a master’s in epidemiology from England; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/Royal Veterinary College.

He started in private fish health services in Vesterålen in the late ’80s and stayed until 1995, when he then spent a year in diagnostics in Harstad. In 1996 he was employed as a researcher in the epidemiology section in Oslo. After a while he became the section leader, and in 2018, he transitioned to the position of department director in the Department of Fish Health and Welfare.

He has focused on fish health/welfare for much of his career and been involved in international aquaculture and worked on various projects through WOAH, FAO, and Norad. In his current position he is in lead of a group primarily focused on international collaborative projects in aquaculture.

Panel 1: An industry at risk

Moderator:

Kay Roger Fjellsøy
Veterinarian and senior advisor at Åkerblå

Kay Roger Fjellsøy is a veterinarian, with 30 years’ experience in the green sector and simultaneously 25 years in the blue sector. A total of 55 years of clinical experience. He founded Marin Helse in 2001 and was involved in developing the modern fish health service. When Åkerblå acquired Main Helse in 2021, Kay Roger joined the company as Senior advisor with a focus on fish health and fish welfare.

Panelists:

Tonje Osmundsen
Research Director
NTNU Social Research, Studio Apertura department

Tonje C. Osmundsen is a political scientist and research director at NTNU Social Research, Studio Apertura department. She has worked on research and development projects in both the public and private sectors for over 20 years and has extensive project management experience with clients from industry, business, administration, and the Research Council of Norway.

The projects have covered organizational topics in various sectors, both nationally and internationally. Common themes are collaboration and knowledge development across and within organizations, and how organizations can handle external conditions such as market, public regulation, and public opinion. In recent years, her main interests have been aquaculture and marine research, but she has also researched technology development, organization of health services, and the internationalization of Norwegian industry. She actively disseminates her research through professional lectures, publications in international journals, and in popular science formats

Bård Skjelstad
Director Supervision Division Aquaculture
Norwegian Food Safety Authority

Bård Skjelstad is a distinguished veterinarian and aquaculture expert with nearly 30 years of experience in the industry.

Skjelstad’s extensive career includes leadership positions such as COO at Aquagen, Technology Director at Scale AQ, and Biology and Nutrition Manager at SalMar. He has also led Aqualoop and served as a practicing veterinarian in fish health services. His academic contributions include part-time research at NTNU and project leadership at VESO/Veterinærinstituttet.

Known for his commitment to sustainable aquaculture, Skjelstad brings a wealth of knowledge in fish health, research and development, and production technology. His new role aims to enhance the regulatory framework and ensure effective risk-based control of the aquaculture industry along Norway’s extensive coastline.

Krister Hoaas
Head of Farming Region West
The Norwegian Seafood Federation

Krister Hoaas is an educated historian with political science from the University of Oslo (UiO) and LMU Munich. He has worked for 15 years as a journalist at TV2 and Bergens Tidende, as well as five years as a business policy advisor at the Bergen Chamber of Commerce, with responsibilities including marine industries. Hoaas joined Seafood Norway and Kobben as regional manager in the west in August 2022, after nearly five years as a community liaison at Lerøy Seafood Group, where his main responsibilities included external communication and media handling/press contact.

Panel 2: Sustainable growth through industry change management

Panel introduction by Hilde Talseth

Hilde Talseth
CEO
Norsk Kylling

Hilde Talseth is CEO of Norsk Kylling, a leading broiler chicken producer in Norway, and the first producer in the world to implement the ECC standard for animal welfare throughout the whole value chain. Talseth has had a key role leading the sustainable transition in Norsk Kylling. Amoung other projects, Talseth was responsible for implementing the slow growing chicken breed Hubbard.

Talseth has over the past 15 years had leading roles in the food production industry in Norway. She holds an MBA from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.

Moderator:

Mads Arild Eidem
Director of Aquaculture Operations Norway
Åkerblå

Mads Arild Eidem is the Director of Aquaculture Operations Norway at Åkerblå DNV. He possesses a comprehensive educational background in technical, economic, and management disciplines, having studied at prestigious institutions such as the Norwegian Naval Academy, BI Norwegian Business School, and SKEMA Business School in Paris, where he earned an MSc in Project Management and Business Development.

With over 25 years of experience in various management roles across the Norwegian Armed Forces, Energy, Research, and Aquaculture sectors, Mads brings a wealth of expertise to his current position. His career began with more than 15 years of service as an officer in the Submarine Force before he transitioned to DNV in 2014.

At DNV, Mads has been instrumental in the development of the Technology Centre Bergen, where he has played a key role in supporting the industry through the technology qualification of new concepts and solutions for the aquaculture industry. His strategic management experience extends beyond DNV, with significant contributions to organizations such as the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GCE Ocean Technology, NORCE, and the Underwater Technology Foundation.

Panelists:

Sven Martin Jørgensen
Head of Fish Health and Welfare
FHF

Sven Martin Jørgensen is the head of fish health and welfare at FHF. He holds a PhD in molecular biology and immunology from the University of Oslo and has previously worked as a researcher in the institute sector, focusing on smolt quality, virus diseases, heart physiology, immunology, genomics, and clinical nutrition in salmonids

Kristine Hartmann
CEO
Salmon Living Lab

Kristine Hartmann started at Salmon Living Lab on October 1, 2024. She came from the position of Development Director at SalMar Aker Ocean. Hartmann has held several leadership roles, including COO at HUB Ocean and EVP Transformation at Aker BioMarine. She is a driving force for innovation and sustainable development in the marine industries. Kristine has also contributed to the seafood industry as a board member of Seafood Norway. She has extensive experience in establishing growth companies and navigating the intersection of industry, research, academia, NGOs, and authorities. Kristine holds a Master of Science in Marine Technology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of New Orleans (UNO)