– It joins a series of record years. I am very happy that it has gone as well as it has, despite the war in the world.
That’s according to seafood analyst Paul T. Aandahl of Norway’s Seafood Council.
In total, Norway exported NOK 172 billion worth of seafood in 2023. This is up 14 percent from the previous year, which was also a record year.
– It is largely thanks to a weakened currency. And that makes us a bit vulnerable to a possible strengthening of the currency in the coming year. Me is very excited about 2024.
A smaller fish than before
Although the export of Norwegian seafood is increasing, Norwegians fish less and less.
– It worries me that I have less and less fish. We know that it is healthy food, protein-rich food and, not least, it is very good.
This is according to the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Cecilie Myrseth.
– We have to step up our efforts here at home, because I have never eaten less fish than today. Seafood is both sustainable and healthy, so we have to reverse the trend and eat more of it, she says.
Cecilie Myrseth has eaten fish several times at Christmas. She hopes more people will have fish on their plate for dinner.
Photo: Marta Hofsøy
The Norwegian Seafood Council believes this is due to the increase in prices on the international market.
– When the price goes up abroad and the currency weakens, I get a big price increase in Norway as well, says Aandahl.
He said that Norway exports 95 percent of all the seafood we produce and that this is an important reason why the price is affected.
At the same time as the price of seafood goes up, the price of meat goes down. And that can mean less fish for dinner both at home and abroad.
– We now see that the price of meat is starting to fall in international trade. This means that I can face increased competition.
Parts of the facility for Bjørøya AS in Trøndelag. 2023 was also a record year for them.
Photo: Bjørøya AS
Weak krone and high price growth
The weak krone and rising prices worldwide have contributed to the record year for Norwegian seafood.
– Overall, it has been a good year for seafood exports. Well driven by a weakened Norwegian krone against the most important currencies we trade in, explains Aandahl.
And it is Norwegian salmon in particular that does well on the international market.
– Salmon accounts for over 70 per cent of exports and we see that the price in euros and dollars will also increase in 2023.
Fish from Bjørøya AS in Trøndelag is exported all over the world.
Photo: Bjørøya AS
Although he is excited about the coming year, he has faith in Norwegian seafood in 2024 as well.
– Seafood is still one of Norway’s most in-demand global trade goods and has seriously strengthened itself as our second largest export product, behind oil and gas.
This is what the managing director of Norway’s Seafood Council, Christian Chramer, adds.
Think people will eat more fish
The company Bjørøya AS in Trøndelag exports all the fish they produce.
– We are in a period of growth and expansion. 2023 is a record year for us. We have produced more salmon than ever before. This means that we will deliver the strongest financial result ever, says daily manager Ole Martin Løfsnes.
– Bjørøya is incredibly proud of the product that I make and I think that salmon is a fantastic fish to produce food from. It is clear that the rest of the world also experiences it when you see the speech here.
The day-to-day manager of Bjørøya AS, Ole Martin Løfsnæs, is very pleased with the year 2023. The company has 86 employees.
Photo: Bjørøya AS
Lerøy Seafood Group also believes that people will eat more fish in the coming year.
– We look positively at 2024. We believe that many of the same trends will continue, and that the demand for seafood from Norway will be good. The quota for white fish such as cod and haddock is on a downward trend, and this is putting pressure on prices.
That’s what Ivar Wulff, executive vice president for sales and distribution at Lerøy Seafood Group, told NRK.
But even though the value is a record high, Norway exported less seafood than in 2022. In total, Norway exported 2.8 million tonnes of seafood in 2023, down 5 percent from the previous year.
2024-01-04 05:00:07
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