The project will focus on studying two species: humpback salmon and bluefin tuna.
The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Nofima, has presented a new study on how to manage and utilize the increasing appearance of new marine species in Norwegian waters due to climate change.
According to Nofima, the optimal utilization of marine resources can create opportunities for greater food availability, new fisheries, and profitable businesses. An example of this is the inclusion of the king crab, which has become a profitable fishery despite the challenges it may have posed to the ecosystem and other fisheries.
The project will also study new markets, consumer responses to new products, and quality assessment technologies that reduce waste and maximize product utilization.
The study will first focus on humpback salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Both species are being evaluated by Norwegian stakeholders for commercial exploitation.
Humpback salmon has recently migrated to Norwegian waters and is considered an invasive species, whose spread has been attempted to be controlled.
In contrast, bluefin tuna has long been present, but its fishing became illegal in the 1980s due to a significant decline in its population. In recent years, the Norwegian quota has increased tenfold.
Norwegian seafood is the second-largest export industry in Norway, after oil and gas. After reaching unprecedented heights in 2024, in the first quarter of 2025, it exported NOK 44 billion worth of seafood, 9% more than in the same period last year.