Norway cod sales make steady progress

WHITE fish exports from Norway continued to make steady progress last month, the latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council show.

Fresh cod exports, including fillets, during the month totalled 2,600 tonnes, a rise of five per cent. They netted the country’s fishermen 83 million kroner, an increase of ten per cent on 2017, and show that cod prices are continuing their upward trend. Denmark and Spain appear to be the main buyers.

Fresh cod exports for the year so far have reached 53,000 tonnes and were worth NOK 1.9 billion, a volume decline of five per cent, but a value increase of three per cent or NOK 154 million.

Ingrid Kristine Pettersen, analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: ‘We are still seeing an increase in exports of fresh cod outside of the main season, largely due to the fresh fish and live storage system.

‘Despite the fact that the price fell slightly in July, the average price for fresh whole cod was nine per cent higher this year when compared with the same period in 2017.’

Frozen cod exports, however, fell last month by 43 per cent to 3,900 tonnes and the value was also down by 29 per cent to NOK 155 million.

The UK and China continue to be the main buyers in this area. But for the year so far the value of frozen cod sales is up by five per cent, despite a five per cent decline in volume.

Norway exported 1,500 tonnes of salted fish, always popular in southern Europe, worth NOK 65 million in July, an increase on the previous year.

Sales of king crab rose by 106 tonnes to 270 tonnes in July and were worth NOK 78 million, a value rise of 80 per cent.

Norway also exported 670 tonnes of shrimp worth NOK 51 million during the month, an increase in value of six per cent.