Norway saw its seafood exports boom by 25% in value in the first three months of the year, another record driven largely by a huge increase in salmon sales.
The country’s seafood exports topped NOK 16.8bn in the first quarter of 2014, a NOK 3.36bn increase from NOK 13.44bn the same time last year.
Much of this hike was driven by salmon sales, which soared by NOK 2.6 billion ($435 million) to NOK 10.7bn over the same period — accounting for 77% of the increase, and 63% of the total export value.
However, with the exception of herring all other categories also experienced growth.
146% increase in fresh cod volumes
Exports of fresh cod, fillets included, were up by NOK 306m or 66%, to NOK 770m. This was driven by a more than doubling in volumes, up 146% from 15,000 metric tons to 37,000t.
This reflects a highly successful season of fishing for skrei, or Arctic cod, said the Norwegian seafood council.
“A very strong demand for salmon and a fairy-tale skrei season in the winter are the main reasons that we now see a new export record in the first quarter,” said the council’s market information director Egil Ove Sundheim.
The export value is a new record for Norway, which already recorded record exports for 2013, also driven by strong salmon prices.
Frozen cod sales up 58%
Frozen cod exports were also up, by 58% or NOK 240m in value, to NOK 657m. In volume, the increase was of 63% or 14,000t to 36,000t.
Salmon sales up 33%, trout up 30%
Salmon was unsurprisingly the big earner, with sales up by NOK 2.6bn or 33%, to NOK 10.7bn. The average export price of whole, Norwegian salmon was NOK 43.88 per kilo in March, compared to NOK 37.59 in March 2013.
Poland and France were the biggest markets.
Trout exports also rose strongly, up 30% or NOK 146m to NOK 632m. The increase as even stronger in March, when exports soared 60% to NOK 227m. Russia and Japan are Norway’s biggest markets.
Klippfisk and salted fish
Sales of klippfisk — known also as bacalao — also rose, by 16% or NOK 119m, to NOK 862m. In volumes, sales were up by 2,500t.
Salted fish sales rose by 34% or NOK 93m, to NOK 368m, while volumes were up 2,400t to 13,354t.
Herring down, mackerel up
Within pelagics, herring was down by NOK 107m or 13%, to NOK 720m. Exports in March only were down 19% or NOK 33m to NOK 143m. Russia and Germany were the biggest markets.
Mackerel exports on the other hand soared 40% or NOK 189m to NOK 661m. In March, the increase was of a modest 5% or NOK 5m. China and the Netherlands were the key markets here.