Seafood is one of Norway’s largest export sectors that has had the greatest growth. In 10 years, the value has more than doubled, from €4.7 billion in 2012 to €12 billion in 2021.
Salmon was by far the largest species in Norwegian seafood exports in 2021. It was a very strong year, with a record in both volume and value:
- Salmon €8.1 billion (+ 16%)
- Cod €1 billion (+ 2%)
- Mackerel €590 million (+ 18%)
- Herring €420 million (+11%)
- Trout €400 million (+ 5%)
- Pollock €250 million (+7%)
CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, Renate Larsen, commented, “2021 was another adventurous export year for Norwegian seafood. We are in the very favorable position that we have products that the whole world wants – even in times of crisis. This has resulted in demand growth, record volumes and a total export value that Norway has never experienced before. It is impressive and shows that Norwegian seafood is one of our most important industries of the future.”
Seafood exports 2021 offered many records. Here are some of them:
- For the very first time, the total export volume exceeded 3 million tonnes.
- The increase in value was as much as NOK €1.5 billion, or 14.3 per cent, compared with the previous year.
- The old value record from 2019 of €10.7 billion was broken by €1.4 billion, or 12.7 percent.
- In December, seafood worth €1.2 billion was exported. This is a new record for this month.
“Through a challenging year, the seafood industry has delivered fantastic results. The government has very high ambitions for the seafood industry. Together with all the skilled professionals in the seafood industry, we will continue to work for further growth in the export of climate-friendly food, more activity along the coast and new records,” said Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Bjørnar Skjæran (Labor) in a press release.
