“Norwegian fishing vessels have delivered 30.000 tons more cod so far this year compared to the same period in 2013”, says Tor Kalsaas, information manager in the the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organization (Norges Råfisklag). The export of fresh cod increased in February by NOK 132 million or 86 per cent, to a total of NOK 284 million (€34.2 million). The EU dominates the market for fresh cod from Norway.
Clipfish exports increased in February by NOK 168 million or 107 per cent, totaling NOK 325 million (€39.2 million). Brazil was the largest market for clipfish in February, with a value of NOK 160 million. Salted fish exports increased in February by 28 per cent, totaling NOK 136 million. Portugal remains Norway’s largest market for salted fish with a total value of NOK 84 million in February.
According to Tor Kalsaas, there is more than 100 percent more cod outside northern Norway now than there was ten years ago.
SKREI® to the world
Through leading trend setting chefs from different countries the Norwegian Seafood Council has succeeded in making skrei – spawning cod – a highly requested dish for modern people.
Between January and April, millions of migrating cod undertake their annual journey from the Barents Sea, travelling thousands of kilometers back to their spawning grounds along the northern part of the Norwegian coast. As these fish migrate over vast distances, the flesh of these powerful fish becomes exceptionally firm, white and supple. Skrei has been an important source of food for people in northern Norway for thousands of years, and is now finding its way to restaurants and dinner tables in Europe.
“Our main target group when it comes to skrei is environmental conscious people who put quality first and who wants to know where the food they eat, come from”, Anne-Grete Skavhaug, Communication Advisor in the Norwegian Seafood Council says. “Only the very best species of these migrating cod are sold under the trade mark Skrei”. They are line-caught from day boats, they must be fully grown (about five years old) and in pristine condition with no scratches or bruising, and they must be packed within 12 hours of being caught.
Two days from sea to shop
Ivan Loretzen Fiskeforretning in Brensholmen outside Tromsø is one of the many family-owned fish producers on the coast of Norway. With 25 employees in the high season and 12 outside season, it is a typical mid-sized Norwegian fish producer, delivering 8000 tons of fresh fish per year, in addition to salted fish for bacalao, cod liver, cod roe and dried cod heads. The latter is exported to Nigeria.
The company’s main production used to be salted cod for markets in Spain and Portugal, but with the European financial crisis, these countries started buying less fish. The company then invested 8 million NOK in new equipment and started producing fresh fish. With the factory located close to the fishing fields in the Norwegian Sea, it takes only two days from the cod is caught to it is ready for sale in Denmark, France, Germany or the UK.
