May 18, 2009

Iceland reported first quarter seafood exports of ISK42.64 billion (US$336.8 million), a 31-percent rise from the same quarter of 2008.

According to Statistics Iceland, the provisional figures for the first quarter this year for salted and dried fish was up 39.5 percent to ISK8.74 billion, fresh fish was up 26.8 percent to ISK7.53 billion for fresh fish, while whole frozen fish increased 44.2 percent to ISK4.22 billion.

Statistics also show that frozen fillets were up 9 percent to ISK12.91 billion, while frozen shrimp were down 10 percent to ISK1.72 billion and fishmeal was up 13.8 percent to ISK1.73 billion.

Seafood exports last year amounted to 697,000 tonnes and ISK171.3 billion, a 12.5-percent increase in quantity and a 34.3-percent increase in value. Frozen products made up about 50 percent of exports, the main product being uncured salted cod.

Iceland's main market is the EU, which imported products worth a total of ISK135 billion, or 79 percent of Iceland's total export value.

Last year, Asia imported 6.3 percent and North America 5.6 percent of Iceland's seafood in total.

US$1 = ISK126.61 (May 18)