One Ocean Symposium 2026

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The global demand for food continues to rise, yet current production systems struggle to meet this demand without compromising fragile ecosystems. Aquaculture, or fish farming, is frequently highlighted as a potential solution: fish provides a nutritious source of protein. At the same time, the industry faces scrutiny for its environmental impacts, including effects on fish health and surrounding marine ecosystems.

Norway, the world’s largest exporter of farmed salmon, produces around 1.5 million tons each year. Ambitious policy goals suggest that the value generated from farmed salmon could quintuple by 2050, cementing Norway’s role as a global “aquaculture nation.” But as SINTEF, one of Norway’s leading research organizations, points out, the industry faces a “fish feed predicament”: expanding seafood production raises pressing questions about the sustainability of the feed ingredients we rely on.

This panel will dive into one particular solution: reusing fish sludge. Starting from a discussion about the opportunities and risks re-using fish sludge, we will open the conversation to the role of science in technology in developing and assessing solutions like this, to questions about regulation and governance, and, finally, to the necessity of public debates surrounding the introduction of novel ingredients to the feed of our food.  Are we asking the right questions, and are the right voices at the table?

We invite you to join this critical dialogue at the intersection of food production, science, and sustainability.

Speakers in this session:

• Erik-Jan Robert Lock, Nofima
• Ann-Cecilie Hansen, Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet)
• Roger Strand, Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen
• Speaker from the Institute of Marine Research TBC

Session convener: Postdoctoral fellow Thomas Völker, SEAS programme and Centre for the Study of the Sciences and Humanity (SVT)

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Despite recognizing the severity of global sustainability challenges, research continues to deliver solutions that treat sympthoms rather than fundamental problems. One such problem is the unwritten and unquestioned belief that society needs continuous economic growth. Long hailed as the best way to “develop” peoples and countries, the focus on economic growth has increasingly eroded social services and ecological integrity, commodifying people and nature. In the ocean, this landborn mindset is made visible not through an abundance of wildlife and overall ecosystem stability. Instead, economic growth manifests through ocean acidification, overfishing, pollution, and plans for high-risk extraction activities like deep-sea mining. But can we even imagine a world that is not obsessed with economic growth? And if so, how can academia provide some of the answers and the knowledge to move beyond growth? In this session, speakers will provide some insights into economic models that are not centered on growth. They will reflect on which roles academia should take to benefit society and nature, as well as what type of knowledge is required for a post-growth world.

An interactive conversation between...

• Ecological economist and systems researcher Jennifer Hinton, author of the book ‘How on Earth: Flourishing in a Not-for-Profit World by 2050’ and with a new book "Game changer: An economy beyond profit" to be released in spring/summer 2026.
• Social anthropologist Marta Gentilucci, who is a MSCA postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bergen with a special research focus on deep-sea mining
• Researcher Eric Young is the host of the Elements of Podcast and a PhD Fellow at SINTEF and will be guiding us through the conversation.

Session convener: Associate Professor Claudiu Eduard Nedelciu, SEAS programme and Department of Geography

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In this third session of the symposium, we will address the High Seas Treaty, or Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, which entered into force 17 January 2026. The invited speakers will reflect on how the agreement impacts on humankind’s relationship with the ocean and in particular the high seas.

The agreement addresses four main issues:

1. Marine genetic resources (MGRs), including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits;
2. Measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas (MPAs);
3. Environmental impact assessments; and
4. Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology

The overarching discussion in the session will focus on issues 2 and 3. As part of the discussion we will take in the latest developments, e.g., at the 3^rd BBNJ Symposium in Rio and BBNJ PrepCom III in New York, and developments in implementation in Norway and elsewhere.

We ask:

• What are the particular challenges, strengths and weaknesses for Norway and other countries when practically implementing the agreement?
• How can the agreement be used as a diplomatic tool in a time of geopolitical change and challenges?
• What role can and should the scientific community play in the implementation of the BBNJ agreement?

Speakers and other details to be announced soon.

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When different economic, environmental, and scientific interests of the deep sea intersect, how can we ensure that ocean research translates knowledge into meaningful and inclusive public debate? For this event on rethinking ocean research, we invite participants to discuss polarization in the Norwegian news coverage, using deep-sea mining as a timely example. Deep-sea mining remains a contentious political topic around the world, challenging how we think about science, media, and democracy. By bringing together representatives from the scientific community, industry, civil society, and the press, the event will explore how media narratives shape public dialogue about the possible future of seabed minerals in Norway. Speakers will reflect on how opposing voices are represented in and by the press, address how science and rhetorical narratives in media shape public understanding, and how the current debate can better facilitate democratic participation by ensuring that citizens are adequately informed about this contested issue.

Speakers include:

• Peter M. Haugan, policy director at the Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet)
• Eric Young, host of the Elements of Podcast and PhD Fellow at SINTEF
• Håkon Larsen, Phd Candidate at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Bergen
• More speakers to be announced soon...

Session convener: PhD candidate Håkon Larsen, Department of Social Anthropology, University of Bergen

Thank you to all the participants in the symposium!