Jason Holland

Bakkafrost and Lerøy Seafood Group experienced biological challenges at the end of 2023, causing them to report lower-than-expected year-end harvests and adjust their operations.

Lerøy harvested 47,500 gutted-weight tons (GWT) farmed salmon and trout in the closing quarter of 2023 – a decrease of 5,800 MT when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. This contributed to a lower total for the full year of

In pure value terms, Norwegian seafood exporters had a banner year in 2023, posting a 14 percent, or NOK 20.7 billion (USD 2 billion, EUR 1.8 billion), increase in year-over-year trade value with overseas sales totals faring particularly well, coming in at NOK 172 billion (USD 16.6 billion, EUR 15.1 billion) – a tally that secures seafood’s position as the country’s second-largest export category behind oil and gas.

However,

Grindavík, Iceland-based land-based Arctic char farmer Matorka has experienced its best year to date in 2023 across several categories – from producing to processing to sales – and next year’s performance is likely to break records again despite several hundred earthquakes having affected company facilities recently, according to CEO Christo du Plessis.

Matorka’s land-based facilities, as well as the nearby town of

The U.K. government complemented its recent signing of lucrative deals with Norway and the E.U. for 2024 by announcing five post-Brexit fisheries management plans (FMPs) that outline how the government will collaborate with the fishing industry and other stakeholders to sustainably manage its fisheries in the long term.

The primary goal of the new plans, which mainly cover U.K. stocks of crab, lobster, king scallop, and sea bass, is to improve

As a result of recently concluded negotiations between U.K. and Norwegian fishery representatives, U.K. fishers secured continued access to commercially important whitefish stocks in the Norwegian North Sea for next year.

Following Brexit, the U.K. has been negotiating fisheries deals as an independent coastal state, and this latest bilateral agreement – reached on 14 December – mirrors previous arrangements the country has enjoyed

Mowi Scotland has received council approval for its proposed salmon farm on the Scottish west coast, which it said will create 10 permanent jobs and bolster investment in the local community near Kintyre’s Kilbrannan Sound.

The new farm – North Kilbrannan – will include 12 120-meter compact circular cages, as well as a 400-metric-ton (MT) feed barge, and hold a maximum 2,475 MT of Atlantic salmon.

Mowi Scotland Director of

Norway’s salmon industry posted a 30 percent increase in export earnings last year despite a smaller harvest, with sales to overseas markets totaling a record NOK 105.6 billion (USD 9.6 billion, EUR 9 billion), according to Norwegian seafood data firm Kontali.

The data highlighting this increase, compiled by Kontali Analyst Filip Szczesny in a recent report titled “The Salmon Farming Industry in Norway 2023,” found that the

Wild-capture fisheries and marine and brackish aquaculture operations in the Mediterranean and Black seas produced close to 2 million metric tons (MT) of seafood in 2021, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

The report, “The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (SoMFi) 2023,” found that these activities collectively

The European Union has finalized bilateral and trilateral agreements with the United Kingdom and Norway, securing access to waters and fishing opportunities for next year.

“While challenges remain, the successful and coordinated completion of this very complex process demonstrates how cooperation between the E.U., the U.K., and Norway can benefit fishing communities and ensure the sustainable management of our shared stocks,” E.U.

Overfishing continues to proliferate in European waters, including in lucrative Northeast Atlantic fisheries, despite E.U. laws that have stated to eliminate the practice, according to NGOs Oceana, Seas At Risk, and ClientEarth.

With a number of important fisheries negotiations set for the end of the year, these organizations are urging fisheries ministers to align management practices with scientific advice and set future catch limits that are