'Seafood from Norway' promotion of mackerel in Japan. The Asian country has been the first destination of this species' exports in September.
Photo: Norwegian Seafood Council.
As we mentioned last month, in addition to salmon and cod, there are plenty of fish in the sea of Norwegian seafood exports that also play an important role in the final export balance each month, with species such as herring, king crab, prawn, and mackerel standing out. In September, amid the turbulence caused by U.S. tariffs and quota cuts, the latter went even further and took over from salmon as the species with the highest growth in value.
Meanwhile, for other species, the element of surprise was in the destination country, with unusual names in the rankings, such as Ukraine or Nigeria occupying the top spots.
Norway exported 52,100 tons of mackerel worth NOK 2.2 billion, which represented a value increase of 32% year-on-year, while volume fell by 18%. Quota reductions and the limited supply in many markets have caused prices to rise. However, despite these positive figures, in its monthly report, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) expressed concern about the future.
"The sharp rise in prices has a gloomy backdrop, as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommends that the total quota for mackerel be cut by as much as 70%, to 174,000 tons, for next year. This is a historically low quota recommendation because the mackerel stock is below a critical level," said Jan Eirik Johnsen, head of pelagic species at the NSC.
The CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, Christian Chramer, also referred to quota cuts and how they affect the sector beyond landings or export value. "The quota cuts for several of our wild-caught species in 2025, such as cod and mackerel, are being felt throughout the value chain," he said.
"When the supply falls, both the export value and the price on store shelves increase. At the same time, the battle for raw materials means that parts of the Norwegian seafood industry are experiencing very demanding times. We've seen this trend for some time now, and it's worrying," Chramer added.
By the end of September, the Norwegian fleet had caught almost 90% of this year's quota of 152,000 tonnes. "It's unusual for such a high proportion of the quota to be taken so early. This is due to a combination of an early start to the fishery and very good fishing in the Norwegian Sea in September," Jan Eirik Johns explained. Japan, Vietnam, and China were its main destination markets.
Another species that weighed heavily on last month's Norwegian seafood export results was king crab. A total of 246 tons were exported with a value of NOK 169 million, representing a 59% increase in value and a 27% increase in volume year-on-year. Of these, 202 tons were frozen king crab with a value of NOK 145 million. This meant a volume growth of 81% compared with September 2024, with an average export price 26% up.
The U.S. was its largest market, with 12 tons worth NOK 107 million. This is an increase in value of NOK 57 million compared with the same month last year. "The season in Alaska is expected to start in October, but the quotas have not yet been announced. This means that Norway is currently the only supplier of red king crab, as Russian king crab is still excluded from the market," explained Josefine Voraa, Head of Shellfish at the NSC.
The same did not happen with snow crab, which, despite impressive growth rates—compared to September last year, value increased by 727% and volume by 477%—had low overall figures, with exports of 44 tons of snow crab worth NOK 7 million in September. The NSC report explained that snow crab fishing in Norway is suspended from July 1 to November 30, meaning there will be no new catches until December.
Regarding prawn exports, as in the case of salmon, they also played a leading role in the September results thanks to the Chinese market. Norway exported 3,400 tons of prawn with a value of NOK 220 million - volume fell by 15% while value was up 30% -. Of them, 1,665 tons went to China, with a value of NOK 95 million. This represents an increase of 705% in volume and 1,050% in value compared to the same month last year.
"China has strengthened its position as the largest market for Norwegian prawns. In September, the country accounted for as much as 49% of all Norwegian prawn exports, measured in value," said Josefine Voraa. The Asian giant is the world's largest importer of cold-water shrimp with around 60,000 tonnes a year.
However, in the case of trout, the novelty did not come so much from the value of exports or their volume—which increased, Norway exported 8,400 tons of trout worth NOK 681 million in September, 10% more in value and 12% more in volume—but because Ukraine was the country with the highest value growth, with an increase of NOK 40 million, or 64%, compared to September last year.
The export volume to Ukraine ended at 1,441 tons, which is 59% higher than in September last year. In the overall ranking, it ranked second as a destination for Norwegian trout exports, behind the U.S., which ranked first, and ahead of Thailand, the third.
September was also a good month for herring. Norway exported 13,800 tons worth NOK 301 million, representing an increase of 38% in value and 34% in volume. Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands were the main markets for Norwegian herring last month.
Nevertheless, what was most striking about this species last month was that Nigeria was the country that imported the largest volumes of frozen whole herring. As it is a price-sensitive market, the downward trend in prices for frozen whole herring, both North Sea herring and Norwegian spring-spawning herring, allowed larger volumes to go to the African country.
Unlike mackerel, in the case of herring, the ICES recommended quota for Norwegian spring-spawning herring, published on September 30, is 534,000 tons, representing an increase of 33%. This is the second consecutive year that the ICES recommended quota advice has increased.