All Norway to talk about the ocean

The objective is to stimulate conversations about how we should make a living from the ocean – now and in the future. “Kystpuls” (Coastal Pulse) is a nationwide conversation between aquaculturists and fishermen, environmental managers and entrepreneurs, conservationists and people in heavy industry.

Already the concept has inspired debate about the ocean along the coast of northern Norway. This autumn the discussion will spread south, as Kystpuls visits Trondheim, Ålesund, Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Oslo.

– Norway is an ambitious maritime nation, with tremendous value creation all along our coast every day. We’ve seen rapid developments, in which the petroleum industry and fisheries have yielded phenomenal income and prosperity. The same is true of farmed salmon, and now we’re developing new industries and technologies. At the same time, we face challenges: we see this in the public discourse about sustainability and competitiveness, in climate uproar and oil shaming, says Ida Folkestad Soltvedt, adviser at Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic.

– If we are to find solutions and create a national maritime policy with meaning, we must listen to those involved in value creation, and to their communities. How do people on the quayside talk about Norway’s industrial adventure? Which bottlenecks do novice entrepreneurs encounter? Can new marine technology increase value creation along with a greener economy? This is what we hope to learn through Kystpuls, says Centre adviser Therese Rist.

Through the nationwide Kystpuls tour, Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic will foster debate between diverse interests such as business, government, academia, the environmental movement, and students young and old. This autumn, they will have an opportunity to discuss the ocean with Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, and Kjell-Børge Freiberg, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, among others. The events are free of charge and everyone is welcome.