Norway’s seafood exports continue to grow
Norwegian seafood export valued record high €10 billion in 2018, up 5% compared to 2017.
2.7 million tonnes of seafood were shipped from Norway to the world market last year, a record peak both in terms of volume and market value.
Since 2008, the value of seafood from Norway has increased by 156%, Norwegian Seafood Council informs.
Aquaculture, mainly salmon, accounts for 72% of the export value.
“Once again, a new record has been set for Norwegian seafood exports. We have every reason to be proud of that. This is a good and significant result for the Norwegian economy. The seafood industry contributes to value creation and jobs across the country”, says Fisheries Minister Harald Tom Nesvik.
EU is main market
EU is the largest market counting for about 2/3 of all export. Within the EU, Poland was the largest single market counting for about 10% of all seafood exported from Norway in 2018.
Asia, on the other side, was less interested in Norwegian seafood with a decrease of 14% in export value compared with 2017.
“In 2018, record export values were measured for salmon, cod, saithe and king crab. We observe a trend that Norwegian seafood is often imported to another country for processing before distribution to its final consumer market. Typical transit or processing markets for Norwegian seafood are Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands”, says Paul T. Aandahl, Seafood Analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council.
Salmon has the largest share of any species measured in terms of both export volume and export value. Norway has exported 1.1 million tonnes of salmon worth NOK 67.8 billion in 2018. This is a volume increase of 5 per cent, and an increase in value of NOK 3.2 billion or 5 per cent from 2017.
“Increased demand for Norwegian salmon in the EU market has contributed to Norwegian salmon exports to the EU exceeding 73 per cent, up from 71 per cent in 2017. Poland is the largest growth market in 2018, with exports increasing from NOK 1.1 billion to NOK 8.8 billion”, says Aandahl.
Russia, which previously was Norway’s number one export market for fish, is no longer buying after Kremlin closed the doors for Norwegian seafood in response to Western sanctions after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada announces investments to tackle illegal fishing and discarded fishing gear, Radio Canada International
Finland: Can a high-pitched noise scare seals away from Baltic fisheries?, Yle News
Greenland: Binding agreement on Arctic fisheries moratorium officially signed by EU and nine countries, Radio Canada International
Norway: Norway and Russia agree to slash cod quotas in Barents Sea, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Snow crabs invading Russia’s Arctic nuclear waste dump, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedes eating less meat than before, Radio Sweden
United States: What Congress’s Farm Bill did for fish sticks in Alaska schools, Alaska Public Media
