Norwegian salmon prices hit 2024 high in run up to Easter

Fresh salmon prices hit their highest level of the year in Norway last week, according to the latest official figures. Statistics Norway, which monitors trends on a weekly basis, said the salmon price averaged NOK 115.19  (£8.50) in the immediate run-up to the Easter holiday (week 13)  per kilo against NOK 106.78 (£7.88), a rise…

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Lerøy Q1 salmon and trout harvest down

The Lerøy Seafood group’s salmon and trout harvest for the first quarter of 2024 is down by more than 2,000 tonnes, year-on-year. The company, which has had its share of biological and jellyfish attack problems in recent months, slaughtered 26,400 tonnes against 28,600 tonnes between January and March. The figures do not include output from…

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Marel is a step closer to US takeover

Marel, one of the world’s leading seafood and food processing equipment suppliers, announced today that  it has entered into a voluntary takeover transaction agreement with the Chicago  based John Bean Technologies Corporation (“JBT”) that aims to pave the way to a proposed takeover. A previous bid worth around US $2.6bn (around £2bn) by JBT late…

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Bakkafrost Scotland recovery continues into 2024

Bakkafrost says its Scottish arm is on a steady but positive road to recovery, despite the latest trading update which shows a year-on-year fall in production for this year’s first quarter. The Scotland division has reported a harvest of 7,300 tonnes for the January to March period. This compares to 8,100 tonnes a year earlier,…

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Norway’s salmon record finally comes to an end

Norway’s amazing three year run of seafood export growth has finally stopped – at least for the time being. Figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council today show a fall in the value of sales, including salmon, both for last month and over the first quarter of 2024. Norway exported NOK 40.2bn (almost £3bn) worth of…

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Former Mowi CEO set to join Bakkafrost board

Former Mowi CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog looks set to join the board of Faroes salmon producer Bakkafrost. The notice for Bakkafrost’s annual general meeting, which is due to take place on 30 April, includes his name on the list of directors submitted for election. Apart from Aarskog, all the others are existing board members up for…

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Aqua energy company seeks partner

Norwegian aquaculture-related energy company Fjord Maritime is looking for a “strategic partner” to expand both at home and on the international stage. Fjord Maritime, which is a supplier of sustainable energy solutions to the industry, said it is conducting a capital expansion to strengthen its position nationally and internationally. The current owners and shareholders have…

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Grieg outlines plans for airport processing centre

Grieg Seafood is answering the call to process more salmon in Norway with a new processing facility near the capital, Oslo. The NOK 130m (£10m) centre (impression shown above) will be close to Gardermoen, Oslo’s main airport. The development is part of the company’s strategy to increase value creation and process more of its own…

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Norway set to tax foreign aquaculture workers and businesses

Trygve Vedum

Norway is  preparing to impose a production tax on foreign-owned aquaculture businesses, it emerged at the weekend. The tax, which will also affect employees, will apply to those companies which farm offshore in Norwegian waters, on the continental shelf. Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (pictured) has submitted his proposals for public and parliamentary consultation. Vedum…

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Safety first

man leaning over salmon pen with net

A report from Norway finds the aquaculture sector is still reporting a high level of industrial injuries. Vince McDonagh reports A growing number of Norwegian aquaculture staff are worried that their work is damaging their health. It is not so much a fear of being killed or serious injury – although that danger exists  –…

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