…Exports 1million tons of seafood in 2019

By Godwin Oritse

This year marks 50 years since the first successful salmon farm in Norway a development that has placed Norway as one of the biggest producers of world’s most popular fish.

Salmon fish can be Grilled, smoked, fried, sushi, burgers, in woks, wraps, pokebowls and tacos, the options are limitless when it comes to the dishes prepared with salmon fish.

Salmon’s great versatility, taste and high nutrient content are important reasons for the pink fish’s rise to fame and increasing popularity worldwide.

The world’s insatiable love for salmon has made it the world’s most popular fish, according to a large international survey from the Norwegian Seafood Council.

The survey is the world’s largest consumer survey on seafood, and in this year’s study showed

that over 25,000 people from 20 markets have participated.

The annual Seafood Consumer Insight study is an international study and has been performed by the Norwegian Seafood Council in their most important markets for more than a decade.

In statement by Tom JørgenGangsø, Director of market insight at the Norwegian Seafood Council said that the purpose of the study is to gain insight into consumer trends, preferences, and attitudes to seafood in the most important markets for Norwegian seafood.

JørgenGangsø also said that the study provides Norwegian exporters and seafood producers invaluable insight into the markets they operate, what drivers and barriers for consumption are present, why some prefer certain seafoods to others, and how these change over time.

In this year’s study also showed that people salmon fish and other seafood at weekdays, weekends and in restaurants.

In addition, salmon is number one for all meals in seven out of 20 markets. In 13 markets, salmon is the number one choice in at least one of the meal categories.

Furthermore, the survey noted that 44 percent prefer the Norwegian origin to other countries.

“We see this also in other in-depth studies from several markets, Norwegian salmon is nearly always up there when it comes to preference. Looking across all the markets, Norwegian salmon is the world’s most preferred fish,” JørgenGangsø said

Norway has exported seafood for more than 1,000 years, but salmon exports are relatively new. 2020 marks the 50th anniversary for salmon aquaculture. The world’s first successfully farmed salmon was set out into a pen in a Norwegian fjord outside Trondheim in 1970, by brothers Ove and SivertGrøntvedt. But it would take many years before salmon become a food staple and favourite on dinner tables worldwide.

It wasn’t really until the late 80s, when the Japanese opened their eyes to eating raw Norwegian salmon that the Norwegian salmon fairytale really gained speed.

Today, Norway stands for more than half of the global market for Atlantic salmon, according to the FAO. Norway exports salmon to more than 100 countries across the world, more than 1 million tonnes in 2019, which represents 14 million meals of Norwegian salmon eaten every single day.