Norway’s exports
Norway has had a considerably good year. They have exported close to 2.5 million tonnes of seafood to countries across the globe. Norway’s largest exporters have increased tremendously this year, and the revenue has doubled. We all know the entire world loves seafood for various reasons including the taste, the sustainability it offers, and it’s healthy for mankind.
But the larger question remains. How and why is Norway one of the largest exporters of seafood? There are various reasons Norway is leading. This includes their vast coastline, the Norwegian waters, weather, geographical placement, etc. The reasons are enormous. Let’s see some of them down below:
Norwegian coast
Let’s start on the Norwegian coast. Did you know the coastline of Norway is nearly 21,000 km long? This paves the way for fisheries and aquaculture at a larger scale. The Norwegian lands contribute only one-third of the entire space and the other two-thirds of the space added to the sea line, which is 90,000 square kilometers. The fishery has been a traditional occupation of the Norwegians for a good reason.
The geographical location, the climatic conditions, and the long coastline have made it the best conditions for Norway to indulge in the seafood industry and use it to their advantage.
Norway’s fisheries
Almost 90% of Norway’s volume of the catch comes from the zones of other countries like Russia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, EU, and Iceland. Norway has agreed with these countries to continue fishing in their regions. This increases Norway’s fisheries at a larger scale.
Infrastructure
We have already established the fact that Norway has a long coastline with seawater suitable for fishing and other aquaculture activities. What we had not mentioned earlier is the fact that Norway in terms of and state-of-the-art technology for marine aquaculture. The major aquaculture activity found in Norway is the production of salmon and trout. But it’s safe to assume that they do good volumes of mussels, lobster, halibut, and cod.
Exports of seafood
Norway saw significant growth in 2017 in the exports of seafood. This was also because of the increase in demand for seafood all over the world. I say the export value to have touched 10 billion euros. This was mainly because of the quality of salmon that Norway exported and I priced them reasonably high. That said, Norway has also increased the import of seafood for various purposes like for meals, fish oils, supplements, etc.
The other major reason Norway remains on top of the exporter’s list is the increase in consumption. The Norwegian salmon and trout have grown to be the most wanted seafood among others.
Conclusion:
Norway will remain one of the largest exporters in the world for many more years to come. Their geographical location, access to fresh seawater, a special agreement with neighboring countries have all come to Norway’s competitive advantage. Let’s not forget the demand that Norwegian salmon and trout have in the world market.
