Norway’s farmed cod exports on the rise

Norway’s cod farmers may be having a tough time financially of late, but what they produce is now attracting increased demand from buyers abroad.

The Norwegian Seafood Council reports that 408 tonnes worth NOK 26.7m (almost £2m) were exported last month. No farmed cod was sold overseas in August last year.

Seafood Council analyst Eivind Hestvik Brækkan said it is now looking likely that last month’s pattern will continue for the remainder of this year.

So far, 5,753 tonnes of farmed cod have been exported in 2023, which makes up in volume terms 14% of all the country’s fresh cod exports.

The big advantage farmed cod has over trawler-caught fish is that it is not subject to interruption due to bad weather – and the quality is often more consistent.

Norway first tried cod farming in the 1980s, but they used wild fish for breeding which led to escapes and other problems, so the experiment was abandoned.

Most of the technical issues have since been resolved. However, cod farming is still a relatively new industry demanding large scale investment which has yet to yield a profitable return.

Total fresh cod exports – farmed and wild caught – came to 2,403 tonnes and were worth NOK 139m (£10m), a value increase of 55% and a volume rise of 46%

Cod and haddock make up Norway’s most important white fish exports and are a big favourite with UK fish and chip shops.

Every year the winners of the annual UK Fish and Chip awards are invited to the country to see how their raw material is caught and processed. A visit to a cod farm could soon be added to the list.