00:00Krill is just the size of a paperclip, but given its massive quantity,
00:04the crustacean is a vital ingredient for food supplements.
00:10Norway-based Akkabai Marina has become the world leader in krill fishing,
00:14thanks to the growing consumption of health products in China.
00:18We were talking about 1.4 billion people,
00:21and people that are getting healthier, they're living longer.
00:24Healthy aging is a main theme on the agenda for the national health of China,
00:29and China will become our number one market within a couple of years.
00:33Over the past year, Akkabai Marina increased its performance in China by 60%.
00:39So China's a really interesting and very dynamic market.
00:41So what we see there is great development in e-commerce platforms, for example,
00:47influences, and different ways of reaching the consumer,
00:50far different from where we are today in Europe and the US, for example.
00:55The global krill oil market is experiencing significant growth.
00:59And while humans benefit from a vast choice of healthy omega-3 products,
01:04scientists warn that the four-fold increase in krill fishing since 1990
01:10is harming the marine ecosystem, including krill-dependent whales,
01:14which struggle to find enough food.
01:19Krill is found in all of the world's oceans, but is particularly abundant in China.
01:24It's also found in Antarctica.
01:26Despite concerns about overfishing,
01:28there's still no international consensus on regulating Antarctic krill sourcing.
01:34Akkabai Marina says it is operating the world's most sustainable krill fishery
01:40and wants to boost its growth by reaching new customers
01:42at China's International Import Expo in Shanghai.
01:46This year is the perfect time to do that, as for the first time ever,
01:50Norway has its own national pavilion in Shanghai.
01:53The CII show is a tremendous show.
01:56It gets bigger and bigger every year.
01:58We meet and greet our customers there and also look for new ones.
02:02Most recently, Akkabai Marina sold its animal feed product line to a private equity group
02:07and is now fully focusing on krill oil supplements.
02:10Johannes Blechberger, CGTN, Oslo.
Comments