“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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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