Norway is one of the largest seafood-exporting nations world-wide. Norwegian seafood includes wild fish and shellfish caught in the Norwegian and Barents Seas, as well as fish farmed in the country’s coastal waters. Important species are the spawning cod (“skrei”, the basis of dried bacalao) herring, mackerel, as well as a wide variety of whitefish, prawns and crabs. Norway is leading in the development of modern aquaculture, which today generates more than 40 per cent of Norwegian seafood exports. Salmon is the most widely exported farmed fish.
Ukraine is one of the world’s most important export markets for Norwegian fish. In 2009, Ukraine imported almost 200,000 tons of fish and seafood from Norway. Alongside traditionally high levels of consumption of Norwegian herring and mackerel in Ukraine, there has been a steady growth in the Ukrainian consumer’s demand for salmon and trout in recent years. According to the statistics from the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, the export of salmon to Ukraine over January-October 2010 reached a record high volume of nearly 14,000 tons against 9,600 tons in 2009 and 883 tons in 2004.
In view of the increase in both consumption and variety of fish and seafood from Norway currently in demand in Ukraine, the Norwegian Embassy in Kiev is working to promote exports of Norwegian seafood to Ukraine and further long-term relations between Norwegian exporters and Ukrainian seafood importing businesses.
To receive literature about Norwegian seafood industry and major Norwegian seafood exporters, please contact Elena Kovalenko at or +380 44 281 22 58.
For additional information regarding seafood trade opportunities please visit the following sites:
Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries: http://www.odin.dep.no/fkd/english/bn.html
Norwegian Seafood Export Council: http://www.seafoodfromnorway.com/
National Federation of Norwegian Fish and Aquaculture Industries: http://www.fhl.no/category/English/category.php?categoryID=31&CorepublishSession=36315a6228481e040837d323480305d2
Nortrade – the official Norwegian business environment on the Internet: www.nortrade.com
The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs: http://www.fisheries.no/
As a large global exporter, the Norwegian government considers it very important that all seafood products offered to the consumer are safe. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is responsible for establishing regulations, operating monitoring programmes and conducting inspections in order to ensure this goal. All producers or wholesalers of food are required to comply in full with these regulations. On behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research in Norway each year carries out analyses to assess the presence of nutrients and possible undesirable substances, pathogenic agents or certain bacteria. For more information, please visit http://www.nifes.no.