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Russia imports less fish from Norway

Russia imports less and less fish from Norway. This salted cod is being prepared for export to Brazil.

Russia in February imported 15,700 tons of fish and other seafood from Norway - 33.6 percent less than in the same period of 2013. The total value sank by 10 percent to €53.7 million.

Location

Russia has for the last few years been the largest import market for fish from Norway. In 2013 the import amounted to €691 million.  On January 1 Russia imposed a ban on 90 percent of Norway’s registered suppliers of white fish to Russia, following recommendations Russian food safety authorities, who believe Norway’s system for quality control is too lax.

The import restrictions were imposed on a long list of fish including herring, cod, haddock and capelin, but do not affect salmon and trout, which Russia imports in large quantities.

Russian import of herring from Norway in February plummeted 32.5 percent, import of capelin 43.0 percent, compared to February 2013, Prodmagazin reports, citing the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Norwegian producers seem to have found other markets for fish and seafood - the total value of exported fish and seafood from Norway to the world market in February rose by 29 percent to NOK 5.4 billion (€646 million), the Seafood Council’s web site reads.