Norway enjoys best ever cod period

NORWAY has enjoyed its best ever quarter for overseas sales of cod which reached a total export value of more than three billion kroners (£273.5 million).
It is also finding expanding new markets away from its traditional northern hemisphere areas, such as the UK.
Ingrid Kristine Pettersen, from the Norway Seafood Council, said that various types of cod had risen by 19, 12 and 17 per cent respectively thanks to strong demand from growing markets, including Spain and Portugal.
During the first three months of this year, Norway exported 32,000 tonnes of fresh cod, worth NOK 1.1 billion kroner.
While the volume fell, slightly higher prices meant the value rose by NOK 42 million or four per cent.
Sales of the seasonal and high quality type of cod known as skrei rose by three per cent to 4,300 tonnes and was up in value by NOK 14 million to NOK 166 million.
Frozen cod also performed well during the quarter with exports up in volume by five per cent to 22,000 tonnes, and the value up 13 per cent to NOK 772 million.
Pettersen said: ‘Usually we see that the price of fresh whole cod and shrimp goes down in March, but this year the price and volume has increased.’
For shrimp (or prawns), the volume increase was 12 per cent to a total of 2,000 tonnes, while the value increased by NOK 27 million or 19 per cent to a total export value of NOK 165 million.
Norway also exported 450 tonnes of king crab worth NOK 126 million, down by ten per cent in value terms.
Exports of mackerel and herring also fell during the quarter, the former species due to the continued closure of the Russian market.