Norway exported an all-time high of cod, saithe, haddock and other whitefish last year, in terms of export value.
The exports were worth NOK13bn (€1.35bn) in 2015, 8% higher than the value amount recorded in 2014.
“The year 2015 was a record year for the cod sector, which after several years of low prices is now being rewarded for extraordinary efforts by stakeholders with good prices achieved for most products,” said Ove Johansen, analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council.
Total clipfish exports amounted to NOK4bn (€42m) last year which was a 9% rise from 2014. In total 87,652 tonnes of clipfish were exported at an average price increase of 23%.
Exports of salted fish grew by 24% with the price increasing on average by 32%. Nearly 65% of all salted fish was exported to Portugal last year, which is also the biggest market for clipfish.
The export value of all fresh codfish products amounted in all to NOK2.82bn (€29m) 2015, which is a new record for the country. This was up 18% on the previous year and the price average increased by more than 20%.
While the average price of cod fillets was NOK73.46 (€7.65) per kg, this was 20% more than 2015. For haddock fillets the price increased by 9%.
Among another areas, sales of dried fish and other dried products amounted to NOK975m (€101.48m) in 2015. More than NOK250m (€26m) worth of dried heads and backs were exported last year at an increase of 5%.
Within the record year came a reduction for exports of all frozen codfish products - the volume decreased by 19%. It was China in particular that reduced the purchase of frozen products, with its share decreasing by 36%.
