“I did not expect prices to go so high,” one Norwegian seller told Undercurrent.
Although the USD/NOK exchange rate is making the price seem higher in dollars for export, it is also up in kroner on the auctions.
“Over the last two months, I have been buying the small haddock at NOK 25/50-26/kg,” another source told Undercurrent. This week, prices are at NOK 26.85/kg, he said.
The prices for the large haddock are also still high, at well over $5,000/mt in dollar terms, he said. Larger haddock are more stable in price, however, with the increase coming more from the dollar exchange rate.
Demand in the US, UK and China along with small volumes is driving the price. This has been exacerbated by ten of the Norwegian longline fleet switching to catch cod and saithe.
“It seems like there will be strong prices for a while,” he said.
“If you want longline haddock, you are going to have to pay for it,” said a source with a trader, mainly dealing in trawl-caught whitefish.
Trawl-caught haddock H&G has stabilized at around $4,100/mt, he said.
For cod, H&G trawl-caught prices are still at $2,850-$2,900/mt for the 1-2 kilogram cod. Prices for the larger fish still lower, but stable.
“Everyone thought that when we had this glut of fish, the market would totally crash. But, you have to remember; there is 150,000 metric tons less haddock in the Barents Sea,” he said.
Longline cod prices are up somewhat, with the H&G price for 1-2.5kg at $3,050-$3,100/mt, with “not the greatest volumes available”, said the first longline source.
Eyes on EU, Norway talks
The eyes of Norway’s longline fleet are — as with the rest of the whitefish sector — on the delayed 2014 bilateral fishing agreement between the European Union.
This is hitting fleets in Norway and the EU, as they are stuck since early January waiting for licenses to fish in their traditional zones, said industry players.
As the EU-Norway talks are wrapping up in Bergen, the industry is eagerly hoping for news of an agreement on quota swaps already this Friday (Feb. 14) or Saturday. However, there are also fears that the repeated failures to reach agreements on Northeast Atlantic mackerel could compromise chances of a quick deal.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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