The Faroe Islands’ Minister of Fisheries and Infrastructure, Jóhan Christiansen, has called for closer cooperation with the United Kingdom on sustainable fisheries and seafood trade.
Speaking at a seminar and seafood reception at Fishmongers’ Hall in London, he underlined that for the Faroes, sustainability is not a choice but a necessity.
The Faroes’ lifeline at sea
More than 90 per cent of Faroese exports come from the sea, making fishing the backbone of the island’s economy.
Christiansen stressed that marine resources belong to the Faroese people and must be managed with care.
“We rely on science, through our Marine Research Institute, and on cooperation with the fishing industry,” he said. “Value is not only about profit. In the Faroes, value also means respect for nature, pride in community, and responsibility toward future generations.”
Shared waters, shared future.
The minister pointed out that Britain and the Faroes are neighbours with a long history of fisheries ties. Exports to the UK currently account for about 10 per cent of Faroese seafood sales, particularly haddock and cod.
He noted that while this figure has been stable for years, there is room for growth, especially if new veterinary agreements are reached to ease post-Brexit trade barriers.
Christiansen will also visit Grimsby to see how the port has transformed into a seafood processing hub, strengthening historic Faroese links with the UK fishing industry.
Global protein challenge
Looking beyond national interests, Christiansen argued that the world must turn more to the sea for food. Currently, 80 per cent of global protein comes from land, which he described as “tired” and stretched to its limits.
By contrast, oceans still offer untapped potential. Fish production, he noted, has a far smaller climate footprint than most land-based meat.
“The sea is – and has always been – the very foundation for our society and culture in the North Atlantic,” Christiansen said. “This is why sustainability is not a choice for us – it is a necessity.”
Calls for wider cooperation
The minister urged progress on international agreements to manage pelagic stocks such as mackerel, herring and blue whiting.
“No nation can do this alone,” he told the London audience of diplomats, researchers, processors and seafood industry leaders.
The event closed with a seafood reception, a fitting reminder, as Christiansen put it, that in the end “quality food from the sea is what it’s really all about.”