On May 10, Ine Eriksen Søreide, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a special lecture titled “Our Oceans, Our Future – Ocean Policies and the SDGs”at the GRIPS Sokairou Hall. The event was staged with the cooperation of the Norwegian Embassy, the Nippon Foundation, the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and GRIPS, and was open to the general public. It was a precious opportunity to hear firsthand the views of the current minister of Norway as a maritime nation, and was attended by representatives from numerous groups, including companies, non-governmental organizations, and government-affiliated agencies related to marine issues.

In her address, Søreide described the importance of marine industries to her country, observing that Norway depends on coastal and marine activities for two-thirds of its exports in monetary terms. She went on to discuss advisable approaches to ocean management in the future, as regards two issues now facing us: 1) Conservation of clean and healthy oceans, and 2) Sustainable use of ocean resources.

1) Conservation of clean and healthy oceans 

Minister Søreidefirst emphasized that, based on Norway’sexperience as an Arctic nation which has witnessed drastic changes in the environment induced by climate change,“No country can gain the required knowledge alone. International research cooperation is the only way forward.” She also asserted that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 14, were key guidelines for future actions to be taken. On the Ocean Conference of United Nations held last year, she said it was a significant milestone that the United Nations, for the first time, spearheaded a global conference exclusively focusing on the health of the oceans. She also insisted that, to maintain this momentum, sustainable oceans ought to be positioned at the core of UN activities.

2) Sustainable use of ocean resources

At present, some 30 %of the available marine resources are being excessively harvested due to overfishing. Minister Søreide stated that responsible ocean management ensures sustainable harvesting and food production as well as employment, growth and welfare for future generations. As an example of successful ocean management, she described a case involving cod in Arctic Sea areas. She noted that, in 1989, Norway and Russia commenced a program of joint research when the Arctic cod stock was at a historically low level. The knowledge and advice has been passed on to decision-makers on both sides of the border. Today, the cod stock is ten times the size it was, and is now the largest in the world. Its annual economic value is estimated at around two billion dollars.

Minister Søreide (Left) and President Tanaka (Right)

Mentioning the visit to Norway by Ken Saito, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, early this month, Minister Søreide commented on the promotion of the Blue Economy (marine economy). Remarking how Japan and Norway know that sustainably harvested fish and seafood are healthy foods, she said the two countries are important partners in developing the global seafood market through industrial partnerships and technological development. She noted that seafood accounts for only 2-5 % of the total global food consumption, and said that Japan and Norway shared the wish of bringing the enjoyment of seafood to more and more people.