April 17, 2007

Norway to study ways to deliver wild-caught cod to market live

Although cod would fetch a 30-40 percent higher price when it is brought to land live, yet less than 1 percent are brought to land that way.

Norway's authorities are finding out the reasons behind it and ways to overcome potential barriers.

It is important to study why the fishing fleet delivers relatively little live fish, despite the higher prices, says Senior Scientist Bent Dreyer at Fiskeriforskning.

In the project, an economic model will be developed showing the costs and profits of the fishing fleet by catching live fish.

Live catches require more work with handling of the fish, and it takes longer to catch the fish because not as many fish can be caught at the same time.

However, with live cod, there is a guarantee of top quality raw material. 

The project will also provide knowledge about when and how it is most profitable to catch the fish live and storage issues.

The scientists at Fiskeriforskning will collaborate with colleagues from Australia and Iceland, where they also have experience with catching and storage of live fish.

The project is a joint effort amongst Fiskeriforskning, the Norwegian College of Fishery Science, the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the Marine Research Institute in Iceland. The project will span four years and is financed by the Research Council of Norway.