Increasing demand in retail is driving the growing appetite for Norwegian farmed salmon in the U.K. market, according to new figures released by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).
In the first eight months of this year, the United Kingdom imported 48,779 metric tons (MT) of Norwegian salmon, an increase of 37 percent year-on-year. In value terms, these exports were up 41 percent, making it Norway’s biggest growth market.
For the same period, the United Kingdom imported 13,056 MT of cod, a decrease of 16 percent year-on-year, which the NSC attributed to smaller quotas and lower landings. As a result, the value of these imports increased by 12 percent.
Jack-Robert Moller, U.K. director of the NSC, said the council expected the cod volume to improve through the remainder of 2015, and added that it was a similar story for haddock, which is down 8 percent in volume due to a quota reduction.
Fjord trout imports have also continued to grow this year, totaling 276 MT for the January through August period, an increase of 194 percent year-on-year. In value terms, imports of this fish increased by 162 percent.
