Minister of Fisheries and Sea, Cecilie Myrseth and Norway's ambassador to Portugal, Hanne Brusletto, visited the supermarket chain Pingo Doce in Lisbon.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (NFD)
The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Sea, Cecilie Myrseth, was in Lisbon last week to attend the world's largest salted cod seminar. While there, she also met Portugal's Secretary of State for Fisheries, Teresa Coelho, to discuss fisheries management topics.
According to the Ministry, one-third of the cod produced by Norway ended up in Portuguese homes and supermarkets in 2023. In more detail, the Portuguese bought Norwegian seafood for nearly NOK 5.3 billion.
Regarding this, Myrseth noted: "Portugal is an important trading partner for Norway, and I am committed to maintaining the good relationship we have and promoting the Norwegian salted cod industry."
The discussion also focused on the change in trend observed among Portuguese consumers.
"Although the traditional product salted cod is strong in Portugal, we see that consumers are becoming more interested in products that are quick and easy to prepare. So, ready-to-use salted cod is growing in the market," indicated Trond Rismo, the Seafood Council's representative to Portugal.
Also, Myrseth reminded: "Portuguese people are familiar with salted cod as a product, and they know well where the fish comes from. They are also very concerned that it should be sustainably harvested before it ends up on the dinner table. In Norway, we are committed to sustainable management, so I have talked a lot about that."
Finally, the Minister concluded: "The Norwegian Seafood Council, together with the Norwegian seafood industry, has made a great effort to understand the Portuguese market and connect the industry and the market more closely," says Minister of Fisheries and Sea Cecilie Myrseth.
In 2023, Norway exported seafood valued at NOK 5.3 billion to Portugal including 41,000 tons of cod worth NOK 4.15 billion and 18,000 tons of salted fish worth about NOK 1.6 billion. Salmon comes next Salmon, with an export value of NOK 920 million.