Norwegian seafood exports reached NOK 43.1 billion (USD 7.5 billion, EUR 5.3 billion) in the first 10 months of 2010, just NOK 1.5 billion shy of the total in all of 2009, the Norwegian Seafood Export Council reported on Thursday.
The increase is attributed mainly to Atlantic salmon and mackerel.
Thanks to high prices and record output, Norwegian salmon exports amounted to NOK 24.9 billion through October, up NOK 5.9 billion from the same period last year and surpassing the total in all of 2009. For the first time ever, Norwegian salmon exports topped NOK 3 billion in a single month, up NOK 843 million from October 2009.
At the same time, Norwegian mackerel exports nearly doubled last year’s 10-month total, reaching NOK 2.7 billion in the first 10 months of 2010, due to a strong mackerel harvest. Mackerel exports to Japan, Norway’s biggest market for mackerel, came to NOK 918 million, up NOK 537 million from the same period in 2009.
”Strong growth in mackerel exports to Japan have helped boost Norwegian seafood exports in October. In addition, continuing record sales of Norwegian salmon provide a solid foundation for seafood exports from Norway as we go forward,” said Egil Ove Sundheim, the council’s director of market information.
Though Atlantic salmon and mackerel were up, herring exports were down 11 percent through October.
