Norway exported seafood worth NOK 6.7 billion (USD 819.1 million, EUR 721.4 million) last month, which represented an increase of 28 percent or NOK 1.5 billion (USD 183.4 million, EUR 161.5 million) compared to May 2015.
For the year to date, the country’s seafood exports have achieved a total value of NOK 35.5 billion (USD 4.3 billion, EUR 3.8 billion), up 26 percent or NOK 7.3 billion (USD 892.5 million, EUR 786 million) year-on-year.
The value increase has come in spite of Norway exporting 100,000 metric tons (MT) less seafood so far this year compared with the first five months of last year.
“The decline in volume is mainly due to the reduced availability of salmon. Good weather has also meant that some cod quotas have already been fished. Growth by value is mainly due to the strong overall demand for Norwegian seafood and good prices achieved for most products”, said Geir Havard Hanssen, communications director with the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).
So far this year, Norway’s salmon exports have totaled NOK 23 billion (USD 2.8 billion, EUR 2.5 billion), an increase of 28 percent or NOK 5 billion (USD 611.3 million, EUR 538.4 million) year-on-year. Its exports of groundfish over the same period achieved a value of NOK 6.5 billion (USD 794.6 million, EUR 699.9 million), up 16 percent or NOK 88 million (USD 10.8 million, EUR 9.5 million).
