January 24, 2014 — After two years of decline, Norway’s seafood exports achieved strong value growth in 2013 and the country is anticipating more of the same in the coming years and decades, according to Elisabeth Aspaker, Norwegian Minister of Fisheries.
Speaking at a Norwegian Seafood Summit in London last week, Aspaker said the country has the potential to achieve an export value of GBP 60 billion (USD 99.6 billion, EUR 72.6 billion) or NOK 611 billion (at the current rate of exchange) by 2060, which would be 10 times greater than its new record total.
The minister said this huge increase isn’t simply about catching more fish; rather, it’s making better use of marine resources. She said Norway is “only at the start when it comes to value creation from the ocean,” and that the country’s seafood industry has plenty of scope for increased value creation.
“In order to realize the potential of these marine resources, research institutions and the seafood industry must work together. A combination of experience, expertise and technological solutions will give us the ideas and the knowledge for the days to come,” said Aspaker.
The challenge is a global one, she stressed.
Read the full story at Seafood Source