Norway exported pelagic fish worth NOK 7.5 billion (EUR 876 million; USD 990.4 million) in 2014, 9 percent more than in 2013, thanks largely to record exports of mackerel.
Last year, the Scandinavian country’s mackerel exports totaled NOK 4.1 billion (EUR 478.9 million; USD 541.4 million), an increase of 43 percent on the value achieved in 2013. This was the result of the much higher mackerel quota of 1,011,000 metric tons (MT) in the North East Atlantic (NEA). In 2013, the total allowable catch (TAC) was 542,000 MT. This year, the TAC is 1,054,000 MT.
Norway’s mackerel exports to Asia were particularly strong last year, with China, the No. 1 importer of Norwegian mackerel, buying in NOK 821 million (EUR 95.9 million; USD 108.5 million) worth of the product, an increase of 44 percent from 2013. However, most of this fish underwent further processing and was sold to Japan.
At the same time, direct exports to Japan increased 17 percent to NOK 809 million (EUR 94.5 million; USD 106.9 million). It’s estimated that Japan accounts for more than 40 percent of Norway’s mackerel exports.
In volume terms, Norway exported 388,000 MT of frozen whole mackerel last year. This was 60 percent more than in 2013 and led to a reduction in prices. The average price of frozen whole mackerel was NOK 10.22 (EUR 1.19; USD 1.35) per kg in 2014, down 9 percent on the average price in 2013.
There were contrasting fortunes in the Norwegian herring trade last year with exports totaling NOK 2.7 billion (EUR 315.3 million; USD 356.7 million), a decrease of 14 percent. This decline was largely attributed to the year-long Russian import ban, implemented in August 2014.Russia is traditionally Norway’s most important herring markets, but last year its imports totaled just NOK 349 million (EUR 40.8 million; USD 46.1 million). In volume terms, it imported 31,000 MT of frozen whole herring last year, which was 58 percent less than in 2013. It was therefore replaced as the No. 1 importer of Norwegian herring by Germany, which imported NOK 365 million (EUR 42.6 million; USD 48.2 million) worth of the species. Germany is a major market for frozen herring fillets and imported 31,000 MT of these products from Norway in 2014.
Other key importers of Norwegian herring products were Lithuania and Ukraine with sales of NOK 356 million (EUR 41.6 million; USD 47 million) and NOK 286 million (EUR 33.4 million; USD 37.7 million), respectively.
In volume terms, Norway exported 138,000 MT of frozen whole herring, a decrease of 37 percent from 2013, and 109,000 MT of frozen herring fillet products, 5 percent more than the previous year.
The average price of frozen whole herring in 2014 was NOK 7.09 (EUR 0.83; USD 0.94) per kg, a decrease of 2 percent from the 2013 average price, while the average price of frozen herring fillets was NOK 11.92 (EUR 1.39; USD 1.57) per kg, also 2 percent lower than in 2013.
Norway’s pelagic trade got off to a slow start this year with year-on-year decreases in both its mackerel and herring exports in January. Its mackerel trade fell by 23 percent or NOK 60 million (EUR 7 million; USD 7.9 million) year-on-year to NOK 198 million (EUR 23.1 million; USD 26.1 million), while its herring exports for the month totaled NOK 208 million (EUR 24.3 million; USD 27.5 million), a decrease of 45 percent or NOK 171 million (EUR 20 million; USD 22.6 million) year-on-year.
NEA mackerel TAC: 2012-2015 in metric tons (MT)
2012 | 639,000 | 2013 | 542,000 | 2014 | 1,011,000 | 2015 | 1,054,000 |
NEA herring TAC: 2012-2015 in metric tons (MT)
2012 | 405,000 | 2013 | 478,000 | 2014 | 418,487 | 2015 | 445,329 |
