Norway has enjoyed the best quarter in terms of revenues from its seafood exports in the first three months of 2015, according to Geir Bakkevoll, the communications director for the Norwegian Seafood Council.

 

The breakthrough occurred despite weaker exports in January and February this year.

 

In the first quarter of 2015, seafood exports reached US$2.2 billion, or a 3% (US$55.3 million) increase over the same period last year. In March, seafood exports saw a 13% ($92.1 million) rise year-on-year, to $795.6 million.

 

Salmon exports in the January-March 2015 period reached US$1.4 billion, a 5% increase compared to 2014.

 

The average price for whole fresh salmon was US$5.10/kg in March, compared to US$5.41/kg in March 2014.

 

On the other hand, the export value for trout suffered a 26% drop from the first quarter of 2014. It represented a value of US$57 million.

 

The export value of fresh cod, including fillets, reached US$107 million, or a 14% rise over January - March 2014.

 

In March, fresh cod was exported for US$47 million, a 48% increase over 2014.

 

The export value of frozen cod, including fillets, achieved US$56.1 million in value during the first quarter of this year. It is a 30% decline compared to the same period last year. In March, Norway exported frozen cod, including fillets, worth US$20.1 million, a decrease of 13% year-on-year.

 

The export value of clipfish reached US$122 million in the first quarter, a 15% rise compared to the same period in 2014. In the same period, however, the export volume had slid by 3,570 tonnes, to 22,103 tonnes.

 

In March, Norway exported clipfish for US$32.5 million-an increase of 11% year-on-year.

 

The export value of saltfish reached a total of US$42.1 million in the first quarter, a decrease of 6% compared to the first quarter of 2014. The export volume fell by 4,000 tonnes to 9,114 tonnes in the first quarter.

 

In March, saltfish exports increased 5% year-on-year, at a value of $25.4 million.

 

The value of herring exports fell 31% in the first quarter of 2015, to US$61.3 million.

 

March 2015 saw herring exports valued at $15.2 million, a 14% fall from the same period last year.

 

In January-March 2015, the export value of mackerel reached a total of US$92 million, or a decrease of 17% compared to the same period last year.

 

In March, mackerel was exported at a value of US$14 million, a 5% rise over March 2014.

 

Poland is one of Norway's key markets for most or part of its seafood exports, along with Belarus, France, Lithuania, China and Turkey.