Toespraak bij de opening Internationaal Schelpdier Congres

Toespraak | 13-11-2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like first of all to welcome you to Zeeland. It is one of the finest provinces in the Netherlands, thanks to its open countryside, its dikes, its water landscapes and structures. But even underwater in Zeeland you can find the most wonderful things, because Zeeland is also the centre of shellfish culture in the Netherlands.

So you can understand why we care about Zeeland. After all, the shellfish industry is an important economic sector. Demand for shellfish is increasing year by year, and aquaculture is one of the fastest expanding sectors in the world, with a growth rate of 10 percent per year. The Netherlands knows how to translate that growth into hard cash: we currently rank along with Spain and France as the most important producers and exporters of shellfish in the world.

The Netherlands owes this good position to a number of factors:

• The Wadden Sea region and the Eastern Scheldt, which are ideal breeding and growing grounds for mussels.
• The proximity of Belgium - one of the biggest markets for mussels.
• And finally, the Eastern Scheldt around Yerseke, which guarantees the Dutch shellfish industry suitable fresh water areas for mussel growing.

So you might think all was well with the Dutch shellfish sector. Appearances can be deceptive, however, and there are a number of developments that will make life difficult.

First there are the areas where shellfish are grown. Shellfish have been grown in the Netherlands in the Eastern Scheldt, here in Zeeland, and in the Wadden Sea in the north, since 1870.

However, both of these areas are now protected nature reserves. There is an uneasy relationship between environmental and fishing interests. Heated debate about the ecological impact of shellfish fisheries has even led to legal proceedings over the licences issued by the Ministry.

Dutch fishing concerns are also struggling with a shortage of mussel seed, and are increasingly resorting to other countries and investing more resources abroad.

Finally the end of mechanical cockle fishing in the Wadden Sea sent shock waves through the sector, and out real pressure on jobs in the processing centres, particularly here in Zeeland.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
If the sector is to overcome these difficulties it will need to change course. Significant changes are needed to make it less dependent on natural conditions, and to make better use of sustainable production methods. In other words, the sector will have to become more innovative and sustainable.

Of course my ministry is prepared to help the sector through this transition. A few years ago we set up the Aquaculture Innovation Platform, which has been working with the sector to introduce innovations. The ongoing work involves experimentation and trials, for example:

• the use of alternative methods for the collection of mussel seed in 'mussel seed capture facilities';
• shellfish farming in hatcheries on dry land;
• exploring the possibility of farming shellfish inside the dikes;
• and conversely: exploring the possibility of growing mussels (in combination with, say, algae or fish) on the open sea.

The Innovation Platform is also working with the sector to improve the profitability of the fish farming lots.

In addition, my ministry will, in the coming years, provide further grants from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). The funds must be used to support innovative plans and ideas that come from the fishing concerns themselves.

So where does this leave us? Is it enough to offer future prospects for the Dutch shellfish sector? No, I am afraid not. The sector - and indeed the policy-makers - need more knowledge, and basic research, for example into the effects of climate change, more efficient operation, and more sustainable production methods.

For these reasons the Dutch Government - with the sector - has set up a major research programme sustainable shellfish fisheries, called PRODUS. We would like to share the knowledge gained through this project with you. After all, the effects of things like climate change go beyond our borders. Such shared problems call for international cooperation.

I am therefore pleased to note that there are around 200 researchers from many different countries here at the conference. This gives me a unique opportunity to call on you all:

• To exchange newly acquired knowledge and to carry out more joint research, for example within the EU framework programmes.
• Also to share existing knowledge and techniques, if only so that we do not have to reinvent the wheel.
• I also urge you to keep each other informed of the effects of innovations in practice. For example, this might enable us to use hatchery and nursery techniques to develop selection and improvement programmes.
• I would also ask you to look beyond the normal boundaries. Knowledge developed in fish farming, for example, could prove useful in other areas, such as nature management, integrated production, etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
If I am sure of one thing, it is that long speeches will not advance knowledge. So I will close now. I hope you have a inspiring, instructive and successful conference. Because you are the key players in ensuribg a sustainable future for the shellfish sector. And if you have time, please go out and explore the wonders of Zeeland.

I now officially declare this conference open.