Pressure on small fish dampens salmon prices

by
Aslak Berge

With the annual fish fair in Brussels on the doorstep, the salmon price fell back as expected.

“The market is slightly falling at the end of this week. And we don’t like that,” said a farmer to SalmonBusiness.

“I would say that it has definitely weakened,” he said about the price.

Salmon prices are most stable for the heaviest weight classes.

“But there is a shortage of big fish. The prices depend on where you place them.

Casino
A smoker confirms the price drop.[factbox]

“The price is going the way it should. Downhill. I don’t know how far down it goes. There is a lot of fish at least,” he said. “It’s a strange market. It’s weird that people do not learn that the prices go so much up.”

“It’s a game. A game every week. Going to the casino is much safer than this. It’s big money. I think there is a lot of fish. More than what is said,” he believed.

Infectious salmon anemia
Industrial sources Salmonbusiness has spoken to refer to the following salmon prices (for breeders) for delivery next week:

  • 2-3 kilos EUR 4,9-5,2 (48-51 NOK)
  • 3-4 kilos EUR 5,5-5,8 (54-57 NOK)
  • 4-5 kilos EUR 5,8-6,1 (57-60 NOK)
  • 5-6 kilos EUR 6,3-6,4 (61-62 NOK)
  • 6+ kilograms EUR 6,9-7,5 (67-73 NOK)

“The price is down, for the smallest fish. At least for those under four kilos. They have started harvesting fish infected with ISA,” said one exporter refering to a recent case at a Mowi farm in Aukra, Norway.

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