Fish, oil and aquaculture are the main components of the exhibition
entitled “The Art of Coexistence” which was opened at the Lofoten Aquarium
in Kabelvåg on March 26, 2008. “The exhibition is the result of a unique
joint venture enabling the Lofoten Aquarium to act as an arena for the
promulgation of knowledge about three of Norway’s most important
industries,” said then aquarium manager Audun Aanes.
Norwegian national waters are rich in natural resources. The fish stocks
are renewable resources that ensure economic growth, employment and human
settlement. The petroleum resources on the continental shelf are of
considerable importance to economic growth and the development of the
welfare state in Norway. If these resources are to provide society with
maximum benefits, then the industries that manage them need to be able to
coexist.
And it is precisely coexistence, and the sea as the basis for life and
economic growth, that is the theme of the new exhibition. The delicate
balance between the various business interests in the seas is thematised,
and focus is placed on the marine environment, ecology and industrial
coexistence.
The fishing industry, aquaculture and the petroleum industry all share a
common need to provide more information about themselves. The new
exhibition will contribute towards meeting these informational needs.
“Incredibly exciting things are happening out at sea, and even though
there are considerable differences between aquaculture, the fisheries and
petroleum production, there are also basic common denominators such as the
environmental considerations that these activities are based on. The new
exhibition is intended to shed light on this aspect,” said Aanes.
The first exhibition at the Lofoten Aquarium to deal with the theme of
fish and petroleum was opened in spring 2004. After almost four years, it
has now been replaced by a new, more modern exhibition.
In addition to the Norwegian Fisherman’s Union (Norges Fiskarlag), the
Norwegian Seafood Federation (Fiskeri- og Havbruksnæringens Landsforening)
and the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (Oljeindustriens
Landsforening), ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and StatoilHydro are also
significant supporters of the new exhibition.
