The NoK12 billion worth of seafood exported by Norwegian producers in November means that the total for the record year of 2019 has already been surpassed.
‘Although we still have major challenges with the corona pandemic both at home and abroad, we are experiencing a growth in demand compared with November last year. This applies to important species such as salmon, cod, trout, saithe and king crab,’ said Renate Larsen, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council.
The November total is 28% upon the same month in 2020, and brings Norwegian seafood exports to date this year to NoK108.8 billion. The total for the whole of 2019 was NoK107 billion.
‘There are many skilled professionals along the entire coast who have contributed to the industry’s impressive export record. With high demand for Norwegian seafood, good prices and the Christmas season ahead of us, I believe that we will have a strong end to this record year 2021,’ commented Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Bjørnar Skjæran.
With a normal export value in December, the 2019 record will be beaten by around NoK10-11 billion, Renate Larsen estimates.
‘This is happening despite the fact that both 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging. When we still set a new value record after the first eleven months of the year, it shows that Norwegian seafood hits well in the market demand,’ she said.
The spread of the new omicron virus variant has marked the beginning of December, and Renate Larsen is uncertain whether it will affect Christmas sales of seafood.
‘We do not believe that a possible new shutdown will affect demand as dramatically as at the start of the corona pandemic,’she commented. ‘Many people have learned to make seafood at home at the same time as new shopping patterns have been established with online shopping and increased use of home delivery. This makes fresh seafood products better equipped than at the start of the pandemic when the fresh fish counters in several countries closed down.’
