Increased volume and reduced value for exports of pelagic fish in 2017

Norway exported 838,000 tonnes of pelagic fish worth NOK 7.7 billion in 2017. This is an increase in volume of 24 per cent and a decrease in value of 1 per cent from 2016.

Norway exported mackerel worth NOK 4.1 billion in 2017. This is an increase of 1 per cent from 2016. The export volume increased by 9 per cent to 336,000 tonnes.

NOK 2.8 billion worth of herring was exported in 2017, a reduction of 9 per cent from 2016. The export volume increased simultaneously by 24 per cent.

- There has been a major decline in price for herring in 2017. This must be seen in light of larger quotas and increased competition for herring globally in combination with Norway's lack of market access to the traditionally most important market for frozen whole herring, namely Russia,” says Paul T. Aandahl, Seafood Analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Poland was the largest export market for herring

Poland was the largest market for Norwegian herring in 2017. Norway exported NOK 458 million worth of herring to Poland in 2017, a reduction of 23 per cent from 2016. The second largest market for herring was Germany, with a value of NOK 378 million. This is a reduction of 28 per cent. The third largest market for herring was Lithuania, with a value of NOK 334 million. This is an increase of 18 per cent from 2016.

Norway exported 139,000 tonnes of frozen whole herring and 106,000 tonnes of frozen herring fillet products in 2017. Of the total export value of herring in 2017, frozen herring fillet products represented 50 per cent. This is 2 percentage points lower than in 2016.

The average price on frozen whole herring in 2017 was NOK 6.87 per kg. This is a reduction of 29 per cent from 2016. For frozen herring fillet products, the average price in 2017 was NOK 13.51 per kg. This is a reduction of 19 per cent from 2016.

China was the largest importer of mackerel

For China, which is an important market for Japan for products processed from Norwegian mackerel, the direct exports of mackerel increased in 2017 by 27 per cent to NOK 830 million. The volume increased by 39 per cent to 71,000 tonnes. The exports to Japan, which were second largest, were reduced by 19 per cent to NOK 772 million. South Korea is the third-largest market for mackerel, and here the exports declined by 11 per cent to NOK 504 million. The volume to Korea declined by 1 per cent to 39,000 tonnes.

Norway exported 323,000 tonnes of frozen mackerel in 2017. This is an increase of 7 per cent from 2016. The average price on frozen whole mackerel was NOK 11.92 per kg. This is a reduction of 8 per cent from 2016.