|
NORWAY exported a record mount of cod and cod products last month, new figures show.
Overseas sales of codfish, including dried, salted and stockfish totalled 1.22 billion kroners ( 157.5 million euros) in October.
This represents an increase of four per cent on the corresponding period in 2010. The news will help to make up for the disappointment resulting from the decline in farmed salmon export revenues in recent months due entirely to the sharp decline in prices.
So far this year codfish of all types has brought Norway about 9.6 billion kroners - or some 1.23 million euros or £1.1 billion sterling - in foreign export earnings - and the trend looks like continuing. Norway's cod and haddock quotas in the Barents Sea is up for next years and most of that fish will go overseas.
The Norwegian Seafood Export Council sees the October figures as a positive development for the country's fishing industry. Frozen fish is also doing well as exports of frozen groundfish (mainly cod and haddock) totalled 308 million kroners (39.7 million euros) which was 134 million kroners (17.2 million euros) of 77 per cent higher than in October last year. China is now Norway's biggest single importers of white fish of all kinds which last month was values at 142 million kroners (18.3 million euros).
Not such good news for the cod aquaculture industry, however, Exports of farmed cod last month totalled 27-million kroners ( 3.4 million euros). Volumes were 43 per cent down, but the average price per kilo was up. However, Norwegian salmon prices continue to decline and were responsible for an overall six per cent fall in the value of seafood exports last month.
Should people be 'stimulated' to eat white fish alternatives to cod?
