Norway’s seafood industry records US$4B in third-quarter exports

NORWAY – Norway’s seafood industry is celebrating a record-breaking third quarter, with exports soaring to NOK 44.1 billion (approximately US$3.99 billion). 

According to the Norwegian Seafood Council, this remarkable figure represents a 5% increase, or NOK 2.2 billion (US$206.9 million), from the same period in 2023.

Salmon, trout, mackerel, and prawns were pivotal in driving this growth. In September alone, seafood exports were valued at NOK 16.7 billion (US$1.51 billion), marking Norway’s second-highest monthly export figure. 

Salmon, the crown jewel of Norwegian aquaculture, was shipped 141,600 tonnes in September, generating NOK 11.6 billion (US$1.05 billion), a 6% increase compared to the same month in 2023. 

Trout exports also flourished, with 7,600 tonnes exported, bringing in NOK 625 million (US$56.6 million), a 15% rise in value.

Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, emphasized that this third-quarter success stands out, particularly as the results are unaffected by exchange rate fluctuations. 

High volumes of seafood exports, especially salmon, trout, mackerel, and prawns, have significantly contributed to this milestone.

Despite cuts in quotas for key species such as herring, king crab, mackerel, and cod, Norway’s total seafood exports for 2024 have reached NOK 124.7 billion (US$11.29 billion), up by NOK 626 million (US$56.7 million) from the previous year. 

Chramer credited the strength of Norway’s aquaculture sector, particularly salmon farming, for helping offset the impacts of lower quotas. 

Norway sees an “explosive increase” in sea lice 

In other news, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research reports that high sea temperatures in northern Norway fuelled record-breaking sea lice outbreaks, impacting fish farms and wild stocks.

Marine scientist Anne Sandvik monitors lice levels weekly and warns that sea lice production has never been higher. 

“In the north, we saw an explosive increase and a multiplication of lice larvae numbers this summer,” she said in a news release by Norway’s Institute of Marine Research, based on data collected from Norwegian fish farms.

The timing of the lice outbreak is particularly concerning for wild fish species such as sea trout and Arctic char, which are vulnerable to infestation as they linger in coastal waters longer than salmon.

Salmon lice feed on the fish’s skin and, in severe cases, can cause significant damage or even death. In some areas, the number of adult female lice on farmed fish has doubled compared to last year.

Fish farms under pressure

Fish farms are primary breeding grounds of sea lice, which can also spread to wild fish. Sandvik explains that a single fish farm can produce millions of lice larvae, especially when sea temperatures favour rapid reproduction.

“If we assume that a single cage contains between 100,000 and 200,000 fish, and each of these has 0.5 adult female lice (which is the legal limit from week 27 in the north), this cage would have 50,000 to 100,000 adult female lice before the fish must be deloused,” explains Sandvik.

The Institute of Marine Research says the situation has reached alarming levels, with fish farms in northern Norway reporting a quadrupling of adult female lice in some areas.

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