Kungsfenan The Swedish Seafood Award prize-winners announced: Prizes to fish researchers who help consumers to make informed choices and to a fourth-generation fish chef from the Basque Country

Press release 
Gothenburg 23-11-2011

Kungsfenan The Swedish Seafood Award prize-winners announced: 

Prizes to fish researchers who help consumers to make informed choices and to a fourth-generation fish chef from the Basque Country

Two fisheries researchers who have taught consumers to make informed choices and a fourth-generation star chef from the Basque Country. They are among this year’s winners of Kungsfenan, The Swedish Seafood Award, the prize that has the aim of becoming the world’s most important prize in fishing and seafood.

The prize-winners were announced today in Stockholm in connection with a seminar on sustainable fishing in the presence of the EU’s Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki and the three fisheries ministers for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Mette Gjerskov, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and Eskil Erlandsson. 

The prize for Innovator of the Year was also announced as going to Josef Nygren, who runs a char farm in the north of Sweden. 

The Kungsfenan prize for Sustainable Fisheries was awarded to Dr Keith J Sainsbury and Dr Tony Smith, Australia. They have implemented an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, better access to research data on the ocean’s resources, greater understanding of marine ecosystems, better political regulation and a popular interest in sustainable fishing, said Poul Degnbol, from the Kungsfenan jury panel and Head of Advisory Programme at ICES, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea in Denmark. 

The Kungsfenan prize for Maritime Gastronomy went to Elena Arzak, Spain. Elena Arzak has patiently worked her way to become one of the world’s leading chefs and continues the proud gastronomic traditions of the Basque Country, said Mathias Dahlgren, Kungsfenan jury member and star chef. 

The prize money of 430,000 Swedish crowns is awarded during the prize ceremony which will take place during the European Maritime Days, a EU-event which is being held in Gothenburg during 20-22 May 2012.

For more information:
Christina Stenberg, MD Kungsfenan, +46 706 350 350, christina.stenberg@kungsfenan.se

Press information at www.kungsfenan.se 

The Award Winners – a Presentation 

Kungsfenan in the category Sustainable Fisheries

Keith J Sainsbury and Tony Smith, Australia

Over the course of many decades, marine researchers Dr Keith J. Sainsbury and Dr Tony Smith, both from Australia, have steered fisheries research into new waters, continuously revealing important, novel marine contexts. Both in their homeland and internationally they have displayed exceptional ability to apply research theory to practice. 

Smith and Sainsbury have implemented an ecosystem approach to fisheries manage-ment, better access to research data on the ocean’s resources, greater understanding of marine ecosystems, better political regulation and a popular interest in sustainable fishing. 

They have made themselves heard through the independent national agency Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and a number of other organisations. Furthermore, they have for a long time managed to communicate their discoveries and conclusions in such a way that experts, politicians and consumers alike all listen. 

Prize amount: 200 000 Swedish crowns.

Kungsfenan in the category Maritim Gastronomy

Elena Arzak, Spain

In 2011, she is being awarded the Kungsfenan Prize in the category of Maritime Gastronomy. This award recognises her combination of tradition with gastronomic brilliance and energy. She is a fourth-generation chef in one of Europe’s most renowned culinary families – the Arzak family from San Sebastian. 

Elena Arzak has patiently worked her way to become one of the world’s foremost chefs, and has now taken over the reins from her famous father, Juan Mari Arzak. The Arzak restaurant is a legendary gastronomic cathedral. It is one of Spain’s leading restaurants and has retained its three stars in the Guide Michelin since 1989. 

With her passion for local dishes and a sensitivity and musicality in her work to communicate the region’s food heritage, Elena Arzak contributes to the Basque Country strengthening its position as one of the world’s leading culinary districts. In her work, she openly and generously shares her knowledge and values. This has made her a representative for the Basque kitchen where fish has a central role. Her fish dishes are created with clear references to life on the Atlantic coast, served as beautiful gastronomic illustrations from the Basque Country. 

Prize amount: 200 000 Swedish crowns.

Innovator of the Year

Josef Nygren, Sweden

Fish farming is one of the world’s fastest growing forms of food production and half of all fish destined for our tables is produced in this way. Until recently, Sweden has been a notable exception to this development. Josef Nygren has shown with his business in Vilhelmina in Northern Sweden that cultivation of high-quality fish is possible – and in Sweden too! 

Josef Nygren’s cultivation of, for example, char has been recognised both locally and nationally. He has shown that it is possible to make a successful business of producing high-quality, environmentally-friendly food, while contributing towards the development of the region. 

The latest development in the company’s expansion is the construction of their own fish plant in Vilhelmina, which coincides with the increase of international exports to Russia and the EU. The creation of the fish plant has doubled the number of local jobs. Josef Nygren’s business not only highlights that aquafarming has great potential, but it is an example of a future industry for Sweden as a food nation. 

Prize amount: 30 000 Swedish crowns.

Kungsfenan The Swedish Seafood Award aims to be the world’s most well- renowned fish award. Since 2002, innovators in research, equipment development, gastronomy and fish-related entrepreneurship from many different countries have come to Gothenburg to be honoured for their contributions. 

The Kungsfenan award is presented in two categories 

1. Sustainable Fisheries

The award is given to an individual, organisation or business that, in practise or through science, has contributed to strengthening our belief in the future and increased our knowledge about our oceans, rivers and lakes as sustainable sources of nutrition. 

2. Maritim Gastronomy

The award is given to an individual, organisation or business that has inspired, or contributed scientifically to, a strong and sound development of fish as food, and helped to encourage new ideas in which fish and shellfish play a prominent part. 

The total prize money is 400,000 Swedish crowns, which is divided between the two categories Sustainable Fisheries and Maritime Gastronomy. 

Innovator of the Year 

The Judging Panel’s special prize dedicated to innovators and entrepreneurs with groundbreaking ideas. The prize money is 30,000 Swedish crowns.

The judging panel for Sustainable Fisheries

Axel Wenblad - Former Director-General, Swedish Board of Fisheries, MSc, Senior Advisor, Chairman of the Judging Panel 

Poul Degnbol - Head of Advisory Programme, ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

Per Hörberg - Environment Officer, the Environmental Secretariat, Västra Götaland’s Regional Council 

Kerstin Johannesson - Professor of Marine Ecology, University of Gothenburg, director, Gothenburg Centre for Marine Research 

Reine J. Johansson - Chairman, Regional Advisory Council, RAC, the Baltic Sea 

Anna Jöborn - Director Science Affairs, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management 

Àrni Mathiesen Assistant Director-General, FAO Food and Agriculture Organization, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

The Judging Panel for Maritime Gastronomy

Leif Mannerström Restaurateur Sjömagasinet, Chairman of the Judging Panel

Mathias Dahlgren, Restaurateur, restaurant Dahlgren, Chairman of the Swedish Bocuse d’Or Academy

Fredrik Eriksson Restaurateur, Långbro Värdshus, Chairman of Årets Kock (Chef of the Year), Artistic Leader of RestaurangAkademien 

Karin Fransson Restaurateur, Hotell Borgholm

Stefan Karlsson Chef and owner, restaurant FOND

Previous Award Winners

Sustainable Fisheries

2002 Vesa Tschernij Finland 

2003 The originators of the Kosterfjord model Sweden

2004 FAO, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Italy

2005 Arja Rajasuriya Sri Lanka 

ICSF International Collective in Support of Fishworkers India

2006 Per Olov Larsson Sweden Hans Lassen and Eskil Kirkegaard Denmark

2007 Dr Fridtjof Nansen programme Norway

2008 Mats Ulmestrand Sweden

2009 Abraham Iyambo Namibia Joe Borg Malta

Maritim Gastronomy

2002 Leif Mannerström and Fredrik Eriksson Sweden

2003 Nobu Matsuhisa Japan/USA

2004 Buhres fisk i Kivik Sweden

2005 Jörn Dyerberg Denmark

2006 Erwin Lauterbach Denmark

2007 Anne Sophie Pic France

2008 Moreno Cedroni and Mauro Uliassi Italy

2009 Paul Bocuse France