Norwegian aquaculture equipment to Iran

Fisheries Minister Per SandbergFisheries Minister Per Sandberg.Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB scanpix

Two Norwegian companies are exporting aquaculture technology to Iran. The agreement was signed Saturday with Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg present.

The companies AKVA group and Aqualine will supply technical equipment to farms and cages that will provide a production capacity of 20,000 tons, writes the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

For the past week, Sandberg has been visiting Iran, along with a large delegation from the aquaculture industry.

“I think this has opened doors,” he said via telephone to news agency NTB.

He says that the Iranians say they need both technology and management knowledge, and that it is to Norway that they look to for this.

Bank Issues

Beside selling Iran technology that will speed up their own seafood production, there are also efforts to put in place arrangements that allow for the export of Norwegian seafood.

A challenge for Norwegian companies that want to trade with Iran is that many European banks are anxious to associate themselves with Iranian banks, which until January were subject to international sanctions.

“I encourage Norwegian banks, particularly DNB, to look into solutions to this,” says Sandberg.

No qualms

Fisheries Minister says he has no qualms about opening up trade between Norway and Iran, a country criticized for human rights violations, lack of democracy, and are involved in several conflicts in the region.

“I have full confidence that Norwegian companies with contracts in Iran will stick to laws and ethical rules,” says Sandberg.

He says he has not taken up human rights issues with Iranian politicians, but says that he has admitted that Iran wastes resources when so many highly educated women are not allowed into society.

 

Source. NTB scanpix / Norway Today