Harald Tom Nesvik, Norway’s minister of fisheries, is adamant that the United Kingdom will continue to be a very important market for his country’s seafood – no matter what the outcome from Brexit.
Norway’s seafood exports to the U.K. market increased by 18 percent to a record NOK 6.2 billion (USD 723.7 million, EUR 637.8 million) last year, making it the Scandinavian country’s fourth-largest seafood market in terms of direct exports. It was also the second-largest growth market.
Speaking at the annual U.K.-Norwegian Seafood Summit in London, Nesvik attempted to reassure both countries’ seafood sectors; saying that there is a shared determination from both governments to find “good solutions” irrespective of how the United Kingdom leaves the E.U.
“From the very beginning, we have had a common goal – not to interrupt trade between our two countries,” he said. “Norway and Britain have a long and common history. We have been closely linked for more than a millennium and we are still brothers and sisters in arms … and today Britain is one of Norway’s most important export markets – oil and gas, wind-power, tourism and also for Norwegian seafood – cod and haddock and also salmon.”
That relationship, said Nesvik, is not something that Norway wants to jeopardize.
“There is no doubt that Norway and Britain truly depend on each other,” he said. “That is why it is crucial that we continue to ensure predictable and uninterrupted trade between our two countries. It is important for Norway, and it is important for Britain. Seafood from Norway provides [the U.K.] with healthy food, it also provides jobs here.”
The minister acknowledged that U.K. parliament last week voted against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit package, and that it was now up to parliament to decide how to proceed.
“The process in your country needs to run its course. It is not my task to speculate about the various possible outcomes, but I am going to have a meeting later today to discuss these matters with my British colleagues here in London,” Nesvik said.
Some of these discussions will focus on ensuring that from a logistics perspective, supply chains can continue to operate effectively after Brexit, he confirmed.
“From a Norwegian point of view, we hope an agreement will be reached with the E.U. Even though we will also prepare for a hard Brexit and for a no-deal scenario,” Nesvik said. “Should an agreement not be reached, we are prepared to reach a separate agreement with the UK. Such an agreement should safeguard the interests of Norwegian citizens as well as the trade between our two countries. Luckily, we have a good dialogue with the British government on the no-deal scenario.”
Of the NOK 6.2 billion worth of seafood that Norway sold to the U.K. market last year, salmon accounted for NOK 4.3 billion (USD 502 million, EUR 442.5 million), an increase of 21 percent compared with 2017, cod sales reached NOK 526 million (USD 61.4 million, EUR 51.4 million), down four percent; haddock – NOK 586 million (USD 68.4 million, EUR 60.3 million), up 13 percent; and prawns/shrimp – NOK 124 million (USD 14.5 million, EUR 12.8 million), up 20 percent.
Overall, 2018 was a record year for Norway’s seafood exports, with 2.7 million metric tons (MT) achieving a total value of NOK 99 billion (USD 11.6 billion, EUR 10.2 billion). These totals represented increases of four percent and five percent, respectively, although Nesvik revealed that his “ambition” had been to reach NOK 100 billion (USD 11.7 billion, EUR 10.3 billion).
