Norwegian pelagic exports reduced in 2015

Norway exported pelagic fish worth NOK 6.9 billion in 2015. A decrease of 7 percent from the year before.

Norway exported mackerel worth NOK 3.8 billion in 2015. This is a decrease of 7 per cent year-on-year. NOK 2.4 billion worth of herring was exported in 2015. This is a decrease of 12 per cent from the year before.

The Netherlands was the largest export market for pelagic fish in 2015, followed by Japan and China.

"The reduced export value for pelagic fish is a result of lower quotas for both herring and mackerel, while at the same time Norway is encountering trade restrictions in several important pelagic markets. Prices have risen on herring and mackerel, but the increase has not been large enough to compensate for the reduced volume," says Paul Aandahl, Analyst with the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Japan was the largest importer of mackerel

Japan was the largest export market for mackerel from Norway in 2015, at NOK 715 million. This is a decrease of 12 per cent from 2014. For China, which is the next largest market, exports declined by 35 per cent to NOK 518 million.

Sales of mackerel to the Netherlands, which is an important transhipment market for pelagic fish, increased by 35 per cent to NOK 492 million in 2015.

A total of 344,000 tonnes of frozen mackerel was exported in 2015, which is 11 per cent less than the year before. The average price achieved for frozen whole mackerel was NOK 10.60 per kg in 2015. This is an increase of 4 per cent from 2014.

Germany was the largest herring market

Germany was the largest market for Norwegian herring in 2015. Norway exported NOK 347 million worth of herring to Germany in 2015. In addition, NOK 283 million worth of herring was exported to Poland and NOK 272 million to Lithuania.